


Sky Full Of Stars

by Pink_Sunsets



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: A crap ton of tension, Alternate Universe - High School, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bullying, Coffee Addiction, Couple goals, Crushes, Cute Harry, Dating, Did I Mention Fluff, Dormmates, Eleanor is a meanie, Fetus Harry, Fetus Louis, Fluff, Football, High School, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Louis protective of Harry, M/M, Musical Harry, Parties, Roommates, Slow Burn, Small Harry, Small boyfriends, Student Harry, Student Louis, Underage Drinking, Virgin Harry, cute boyfriends, fetus boyfriends, footie louis, i don’t know how to tag, narry friendship, pinning, supportive friends, young teens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 138,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24624538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pink_Sunsets/pseuds/Pink_Sunsets
Summary: Harry Styles is starting grade 11 at St Lilian High. But between fights between friends, old bullies, nagging teachers; he’s just trying to get through the year.Then there’s Louis Tomlinson, the most popular guy at school, who’s flipping his entire world upside down.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 278
Kudos: 398





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey lovelies!! So this is my very first work ever. I had to repost the first chapter because I was having trouble uploading it, but now it’s fine!  
> I love hearing from you guys, so please feel free to leave comments or feedback in the comments :)

Harry took a deep breath, opening his eyes. The tall brick building was the same as it always had been, with the faded graffiti signs scattered along the walls, the tall white windows and the large letters. St Lilian High, otherwise known as Harry’s very own highschool. 

He had been attending it for the past year, and he desperately wished that he had better things to say about it. 

Instead, every single day had been a painful experience for the most part. To make things worse, it was a boarding school, which meant that he had to live there twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. That had been last year, and summer hadn’t come fast enough.

Summer was amazing. Two glorious months away from school. Harry had spent every moment of it with his mum Anne, his sister Gemma and his best friends in the world, Niall and Liam. 

He had met Niall the first day of school last year. It was his very first day at St Lilian, and Harry had been completely petrified. That was until he had met Niall, who happened to be his dorm mate. The two had immediately gotten unbelievably close, and it had been Niall who first introduced him to Liam. 

Those two had been his only real friends that he had ever had.

Harry bit his lip, before starting to walk forward. Even though check in had just started, there were already a ton of people already there. Friends were crowded in with each other, chatting happily about their summer. 

There were several people embracing, talking about how much they had missed each other and everything. It only made Harry feel more alone as he made his way through the crowds. 

He walked along, searching for familiar faces. Preferably either Liam or Niall, so that he’d actually be able to meet up with one of his real friends. But he’d just be happy to find someone he recognized enough to go talk to. 

Unfortunately, he wasn’t recognizing anyone he knew particularly well, or at least anyone he could go talk to. 

Perrie Edwards, one of his friends, was in the middle of a conversation with several girls in his year. He wasn’t going to go talk to them, especially when he noticed that Eleanor Calder was among them. The sheer thought of her made Harry want to gag. 

He also noticed his friend Ed Sheeran, but he was talking with a bunch of band nerds. Harry had never really been one to judge people based upon their school’s social status, but he really couldn’t bring himself to hang around the band kids. They would just talk about strange conspiracy theories and compare their latest stories about being shoved into lockers. 

“Hey mate!” a voice yelled from behind him, snapping Harry out of his thoughts. He turned around in surprise, seeing a blond haired boy with blue eyes running up to him. Harry smiled, relief flooding him, as the boy came closer.

“Hey Nialler!” he exclaimed happily, pulling his friend into a tight hug. Harry squeaked a little as his friend squeezed him tighter, lifting him off the ground. 

“I missed you so much, H!” Niall said, pulling away and ruffling his friend’s dark curls affectionately. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Harry just smiled. “We saw each other last week at your house,” he responded. 

“Exactly!” the teen exclaimed, a wide smile on his face. It was the type of smile that could brighten any room. “That was ages ago! Ages, Harry!”

The curly haired boy just smiled, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I missed you too,” he said. Glancing around, he asked: “where’s Liam? He’s always early, I’m surprised he isn’t here yet.”

Niall just shrugged, not seeming to notice. “Knowing him, he’s probably already in his dorm unpacking. Probably got here hours ago.”

Harry just nodded. That was one thing about Liam: he was always prepared for everything and anything. He was the kind of person to colour code his schedule and clean other people’s dorms. He was completely clean and organized, and was never, ever late for anything. Liam usually made a point of showing up extra early, sometimes even hours before he was actually supposed to be there, which was both a blessing and curse. 

“Speaking of dorms, we should probably head up now. Ugh, we have to unpack” Niall said with a groan, throwing his head back in annoyance. He was the polar opposite of Liam in the sense. Liam was completely clean at all times, whereas Niall barely ever was. Getting him to pack and unpack all his things every year was a tiring task. 

“Yeah,” Harry agreed, letting the blond boy throw an arm across his shoulders and lead them towards the main registration building. “I haven’t checked in or anything yet.”

“Me neither,” Niall said, starting to walk in sync towards the big building. “I requested that we’re together again. We better be in the same dorm this year, or I’m leaving.”

Harry hummed in response. “D’you know who Liam got stuck with this year?”

Niall nodded. “Yup, some bloke from the footie team,” he said. “Zayn’s his name, I think. Pretty sure he’s a decent fellow, but he’s right quiet sometimes. But you really don’t know what to expect from the guys on the footie team, that’s for sure.”

Harry just stayed quiet, knowing full well what his friend meant. Some of the boys on the football team could be very nice people, quite competitive, but nice. But Harry also knew from firsthand experience how horrible some of the other guys on the team could be. He shuddered at the thought. 

“Oh, I know Zayn!” Harry said suddenly, changing the subject. “He was in my art class last year! You’re right, he was awfully quiet, but was super talented. I swear, he should be the one doing graffiti on the walls of the school, then we would at least have something nice to look at.”

Niall chuckled, thankfully not talking about the football team anymore. “Well, you’ll get a chance to tell him that yourself when we go see Liam.”

Harry just cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean when you drag Liam out of his own dorm and demand that he organizes all your stuff?”

“Better believe it, mate,” Niall said with a wink. “You know me too well!”

They made it to the registration place, where they then had to wait in a long line. The two boys just stood together, talking mostly about the summer, or at least the parts that they weren’t together for. 

Niall had gone back to Ireland with his family to travel around the country and to visit family relatives. By how he was describing it, the trip sounded amazing. Harry meanwhile, had stayed at home during that, bored out of his mind. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t have anything to do. There were plenty of things to do around the city to keep him entertained. The Waterfront had always been quite a popular spot to visit, along with the mall, theatres and amusement parks. 

But he wasn’t going to go to those by himself, and with only two friends, his options were quite limited. So when Niall and Liam were both busy doing fun and exciting summer activities, Harry would sit at home and binge watch Marvel movies. 

“Next?” the lady in reception asked, peering down the line. Harry smiled at her, moving towards the small, glass booth. 

“I’m Harry Styles,” he said. “Just checking in to get my class schedule and my dorm key.”

The lady nodded, and started turning over pages in her giant book of student names. “Styles, Styles, Styles- Ah, there you are!” she said, pointing his name out in the book. 

She opened a desk drawer from under the table, rummaging around for a second. “Right, here is your schedule! Remember, classes start next week so be prepared,” she said, handing the boy a paper filled with various times and classes. 

Harry took it while the lady then opened a container of keys. “And here is your key! You’re in the Princess Park building, which is on your right side. You’re on the fourth floor, in room 412.”

Harry took the key. “Thank you so much,” he said, smiling at her. “And would it be any trouble if I ask who my dorm mate is for the year?”

The lady nodded, skimming the paper again. “No trouble at all, Harry,” she said warmly. “Let’s see, it looks like your dorm mate for the year is Niall Horan.”

“YES!” Niall exclaimed, fist pumping the air in excitement. He didn’t seem to notice- or care- the chuckles from his fellow students. He practically skipped up to the booth, giving the lady a big, toothy smile. 

“My name’s Niall,” he said, holding his hand out to her. The lady eyes it skeptically, slowly shaking it. But before she could pull away, Niall bent down to kiss her knuckles. “Enchanté,” he whispered, wiggling his eyebrows at her. 

Harry shoved him playfully in the shoulder. “Alright, you big sod. Leave the lady alone,” he then turned to the lady, an apologetic smile on his face. “Sorry about him.”

The lady just waved him off, quickly pulling her hand away. “Here you go,” she said to Niall, handing him his key and schedule. “Remember, you’re in room 412 in Princess Park.”

“Call me,” Niall winked. 

“Thanks again,” Harry said at the same time, dragging his friend away by the wrists.

They walked in silence for a few moments, before Niall turned to look at him. He had a familiar, mischievous glint in his eyes. The kind that meant that he was up to no good. “You know,” he said, smirking at the curly haired teen. “Princess Park has been known as the dorm of love.”

Harry just raised an eyebrow at him. “Dorm of love? You have got to be kidding me,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Just what I needed was for you to be running around looking for your soulmate in our dorm while I do all the work.”

“Or maybe this is the year that you’ll fall for my devilishly good looks,” the boys said with a smirk. Harry just shoved him in the shoulder. 

“In your dreams,” he replied. 

Niall pouted. “Awe, H,” he whined. “You’re no fun sometimes.”

“And you shouldn’t hit on ladies more than twice your age and be talking about some mysterious ‘dorm of love’,” Harry shot back, rolling his eyes. “Honestly, it’s no wonder you’ve never had a stable girlfriend before.”

Niall just huffed. “You gotta learn to live a little,” he said. “This is the year where I’m going to get you to loosen up. We’re gonna go to all the crazy parties, try some of those cool ‘grown up’ drinks and maybe take a few drugs if we’re feeling frisky!”

“Yeah right,” Harry snorted, rolling his eyes again. “Drinking isn’t even legal for us yet, drugs are completely banned from school grounds and you don’t get invited to parties unless you’re on the footie team.”

Niall shuffled his feet, talking much quieter. “Well then I guess we’ll have a good chance of going to some parties then…”

Harry turned to him, his eyes growing unbelievably wide. “Wait- What!?” he nearly screamed. “You’re gonna finally try out for the footie team! Niall, why didn’t you tell me?!”

The blond boy quickly placed a hand over his friend’s mouth, shushing him. He then glanced around, but nobody seemed to have been listening to them, but Niall lowered his voice significantly. 

“It was a joke, H,” he hushed. “And don’t go around yelling things like that. Gossip travels faster than wildfire around here!”

Harry took Niall’s hand off of his mouth. “But you’re gonna be trying out for the team this year?” he asked seriously, his green eyes wide. 

“Eh, I don’t know,” Niall responded, as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly with a grimace on his face. “Yes? No? Maybe? I haven’t decided yet.”

“You definitely should,” Harry surged. “You’re really good, Niall. Like, really really good. You’d make the team for sure, and would probably even be one of the best players that they could have on the team!”

Niall just shrugged, before muttering darkly, “not better than Louis Tomlinson.”

Ah, Louis Tomlinson. Otherwise known as literally the most popular guy at St Lilian. He was basically the most perfect golden boy a school could have. He was captain of the footie team, came from incredibly rich parents, high grades, had the face of a god and had all the girls in the school falling over their feet for him. 

All around everyone’s dream guy. Well, everyone except Harry.

“Who cares about Louis Tomlinson?” Harry suddenly exclaimed, causing several students to turn and look at him in horror, and one girl’s jaw even dropped open. “He’s a person just like the rest of us! I don’t see why everyone is so obsessed with him! He’s not even that great!”

There was a deep laugh from behind the two boys. They spun around, looking wide eyed at the guys behind them. None other than Louis Tomlinson was standing there, leaning to the side against one of the brick walls. 

He was decked out in some tight black skinny jeans and a plain Gucci t-shirt, and was standing in a way that made him look like he didn’t have a care in the world. The cool-ness was practically radiating off of him.

“I think if you got to know me better, you’d love me, Curly,” he said, his voice rolling off his tongue smoothly. It was enough to make anyone weak in the knees. 

Harry, though was now completely embarrassed, managed to stand his ground. “You think so?” he asked, raising one of his eyebrows. “You must think pretty highly of yourself. And by the way, my name isn’t Curly, it’s Harry.”

Louis cocked his head to the side, his eyes looking the other boy up and down. “Harry, hmm?” he asked, his smile widening. “I don’t know. I think Curly suits you better, if you ask me.”

“Well I didn’t,” Harry responded shortly, grabbing Niall by the wrist. The boys still seemed to be in shock from being surprised by Louis, so Harry practically had to drag him away from where he was planted on spot. “Now, I think it’s time for Niall and I to get going-”

“Where are you going?” Louis asked suddenly, standing up from the wall. He had been slouching before, and was now standing to his full height. 

The one thing that kept Louis from becoming 100% irresistible last year had been his lack of height, as he had been shorter compared to the majority of the guys at the school. But he had definitely grown over the summer, and was now much taller than either Harry or Niall.

Just another reason why he was perfect. 

“Our dorm,” Harry said, pulling his friend (who had snapped out of his shock and was now walking) away from the teen. But Louis was quick, and was next to them in two long strides. 

“Where is it?” he asked, standing in front of them with a smile that could charm anyone in the entire school. “I’ll walk you.”

“None of your business,” Harry said. 

“Princess Park,” Niall said at the same time. The curly haired teen shot him an angry glare, and he had the decency to look sheepish. 

“Princess Park?” Louis asked, his smile growing (if that was possible) even wider. “Perfect. My dorm’s there as well, and I was just heading up there myself. You know, it is the dorm of love.”

“Ha!” Niall exclaimed, pointing a finger at his shorter friend, his face bright with a smile. “I told you! I knew it was called the dorm of love! I was right!”

Harry shot him another glare. “Niall, shut up,” he hissed. He then turned to Louis, deciding to use another approach, and managed to force a tight smile. “Thanks for offering, but we can manage on our own. Now, if you’ll excuse us-”

“I told you, I’m going there anyway,” Louis responded with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the tension between the two friends. “Besides, while we walk I can tell you all about the reasons why I really am that great.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Thanks, but no thanks,” he said. “I’m sure you don’t need to walk with us. There are probably dozens of girls waiting for you to walk them to their own dorms or better things you could do.” 

At the mention of them, several girls walked past, fluttering their eyes at Louis. He didn’t seem to notice, his eyes never leaving Harry’s. 

“Better things?” he asked, smugly. “Like what?”

Harry just shrugged, feeling exasperated. “I don’t know,” he said. “Playing football, signing lockers, kissing babies- whatever it is you do!”

Louis just laughed quietly, his eyes sparkling with mirth. They were bright blue eyes that were both piercing and warm at the same time, the kind you could easily get lost in. 

“Actually, I’m done kissing babies for today,” he said. “And I was thinking about heading back to my dorm. It’s in Princess Park, ever heard of it?”

“You’re impossible,” muttered Harry, his hand still grasping onto Niall’s. He moved to the side so that he could walk around the taller teenager. 

He was half surprised and half thankful when he didn’t try to stop him from leaving. Or so he thought.

“Hey, I overheard you talking about footie,” Louis said, causing Niall to abruptly stop in his tracks. Harry, bless his clumsy heart, nearly fell backwards from the sudden movement. He turned around with a scowl, realizing that Louis now had Niall’s full attention. 

Louis seemed to realize it too, as he continued with a triumphant smirk. “You know, I do happen to be the team captain,” he said, speaking directly to Niall. “And if you were planning on trying out this year, I could definitely put in a good world for you to coach.”

“Eavesdropping much?” Harry muttered under his breath, but neither of them seemed to notice him. Or at least, they didn’t respond to him. Instead, Louis was just smiling at Niall. 

“You would do that?” the blond boy squeaked, his eyes growing wider and wider by the second. 

Louis laughed. “Of course I would!” he exclaimed. “If you’re any good, you have a good shot at getting in. But with my recommendation, you definitely would!”

Harry’s eyes narrowed, and he glared at Louis in distaste. “For your information, listening in on other people’s conversations is considered to be very rude,” he spat. “And Niall doesn’t need your recommendation, he is so good that he could get into the team with just his raw talent.”

Niall quickly grabbed him by the shoulders. “Harry, shut up!” he hissed, glancing back at Louis. “I really want to get into the team this year, and this could be my chance!”

“I thought you didn’t know if you wanted to yet,” Harry said, furrowing his brow.

“Well, I’ve just decided!” he said, turning back around to face the other boy. Louis was just watching them with raised eyebrows and a smirk on his face. It made Harry mad just by looking at him, all smug and overconfident. “I would love to try out!” Niall exclaimed, his face shining with excitement. “When are tryouts?”

“I can tell you all the details on our walk back to Princess Park,” Louis said with a smile, placing his arm around Niall’s shoulders and leading him towards the dorm building. “Here, let me walk you there and we can talk on the way.”

The two of them started walking towards the buildings, as Niall started talking animatedly about how he wasn’t sure if he was going to try out, or whether or not he thought that he was good enough to be on the team or not. 

Louis just nodded, glancing back to look at Harry, who was still standing there with his arm crossed over his chest. 

“Coming, Curly?” he asked innocently, but his face was full of mirth. 

Harry hated it. Louis was really starting to get on his nerves. So instead, he just huffed, narrowing his eyes at them. 

“Actually, I think I forgot my key at the registration table,” he lied easily, enjoying how Louis’ face dropped slightly. “You two go ahead. Niall, I’ll come to the dorm after getting my key.”

Niall just waved him off, continuing to walk to the dorm with Louis. He didn’t even mention the fact that Harry literally had his key in his hand, which he was thankful for. He just needed an excuse to get away from Louis Tomlinson. 

Harry decided that since he couldn’t head back to his dorm right away, he would go catch up with some of his other friends. Perrie seemed to be alone for once, her friends all had gone to either register or to go find their boyfriends, leaving her in the courtyard. After making sure that Eleanor Calder was nowhere to be seen, he skipped over to her. 

Perrie’s face lit up when she recognized him, and they practically ran over to each other before hugging. People had speculated of there being some sort of romance between the two of them in the past, but it quickly became obvious that they were just friends. Harry and Perrie had grown up together since they were little, and had been close friends ever since. 

Of course, Perrie had managed to befriend all the wrong people. Much to Harry’s dismay, she got mixed up with Eleanor and joined her exclusive girl gang when she had arrived at St Lilian. It was no secret to anyone that Eleanor was the worst. She bullied people, spread the majority or the gossip around, dated a new guy every month and was responsible for single handedly ruining several people’s highschool lives. 

And because she was friends with Perrie, it meant that Harry saw his friend a whole lot less. 

He was sad about that for a while, but then he met Niall and Liam, who were the best friends he had ever had in all of his life. They had completely different highschool lives, but still had managed to stay friends, even though they weren’t nearly as close anymore. 

The two of them talked for a while, mostly about summer and the start of school. Perrie was put into the Maple Grove dorm building along with all her other friends, and her roommate was a girl named Bebe, who neither of them knew very well. 

That was probably the worst part about the dorms. The girls and the boys were never allowed in the same buildings, and could only visit during the day and on weekends. That meant that there were absolutely no sleepovers, and you would be in trouble if you did. But for Harry, that just meant that he could hardly visit his friends. 

They exchanged which classes they were in and which electives they were taking, happy when they realized that they would be in art together. 

“So, did anything exciting happen this summer?” Perrie asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Harry. He barked out a laugh, quickly shaking his head. 

“No way! No summer romance for me!” he said. “I was too bored for anything like that to have happened to me! What about you, any secret summer lover?” he asked, teasing. 

His jaw dropped when she giggled a little, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. “No way! Who is it!?”

“Quiet down!” she giggled, shushing him quickly. After a moment, she regained herself enough to respond. “He goes to our school- actually, he’s in grade 11 like us.”

“Yes, and…” Harry said, his eyes wide. “Come on, Per! I need details!”

“His name is Zayn,” she said, a dreamy smile taking over her face. “Zayn Malik. We got together at the start of the summer, and have been dating ever since.”

“Oh my gosh!” Harry exclaimed, shocked. “I can’t believe you waited two months to tell me! I’m a little offended, to be honest, Per.”

She had the decency to blush a little more, embarrassed. “Sorry, H,” she said. “We wanted to keep it a secret for a little while to see if it would go anywhere. Nobody other than my family knows, not even any of my other friends. Plus, Zayn is kinda shy and didn’t want to make a big deal about it…”

“I can’t believe you’re dating someone!” Harry exclaimed again, before pausing. “Wait, Zayn? Does he happen to be Liam’s dorm mate?”

Perrie nodded, smiling. “I think so, I don’t know of any other Zayn’t that go to this school anyway,” she said. “He’s really great. Ever since we’ve been dating, we’ve been going to movies and park and restaurants, and he’s always paying for me. He’s so romantic!”

Harry smiled as his friend gushed. “I’m so happy for you!” he said, feeling genuinely happy for her. “I’ve been waiting for you to meet someone, and Zayn sounds really great for you!”

Perrie smiled at him, pulling him into another tight hug. “He really is,” she replied. “Are you sure you haven’t had a summer fling or anything? Do you at least have your eye on someone?”

Harry shook his head. “Nope, single as a pringle,” he said, still smiling. “And all the good guys at this school are either taken, jerks or way out of my league. Besides, nobody has a crush on me anyway.”

Perrie just shrugged her shoulders, looking smug. “I don’t know,” she said, smirking. “I’m pretty sure someone likes you, at least by the way Louis Tomlinson was checking you out.”

Harry nearly choked on the air, coughing in surprise. “Louis Tomlinson!?” he exclaimed, seeing if he heard right. At Perrie’s nod, he barked out a laugh. “Are you kidding!? Louis is one, definitely pinning after Eleanor. Two, way too overconfident and conceited. Three, waaay out of my league. And four, one hundred percent not interested.”

“Ok, none of what just came out of your mouth is true,” Perrie said, rolling her eyes. “For one, he hasn’t looked twice at El since school started. Two, well maybe he’s a little cocky, but there's nothing wrong with a little self confidence. Three, stop putting yourself down! Nobody here is out of your league, you’re freaking GORGEOUS! Four, he is definitely, completely and totally into you, whether either of you know it or not.”

At the end of her speech, Harry could feel a blush start to creep up onto him, causing his face to turn slightly pink. He coughed, hoping to cover it up. “He’s not into me,” he muttered. “Besides, he isn’t even my type.”

“Since when has tall, fit and hot not been your type?” she asked, with raised eyebrows. Harry just groaned, shoving her lightly. 

“Perrie, stop,” he whined, burying his face in his hands. “He doesn’t like me and I will never, ever like him.”

Perrie just hummed, non submissively. “Ok, Harry,” she said quietly, patting him on his mop of curly hair. “You just keep telling yourself that.”

***

Pretty soon, Harry decided that the coast was probably clear to head back up to his dorm. Louis had most likely left already, and the large crowd of football jocks and girls confirmed it. 

Harry watched as Louis pushed his way through a crowd of girls, a grimace on his face. The thought that he wasn’t having a great time either was enough to make Harry happy as he bade goodbye to Perrie and skipped off to Princess Park. 

Harry managed to find his dorm building fairly easily, and when he did, his breath was nearly taken away. As the lady at reception had said, it was located to the right of the main campus buildings. 

It was a pretty standard building on the outside, with brick walls and huge windows. There were trees along the side of the building, complete with trails, flowers and benches. The perfect spot for a romantic walk in nature. 

Maybe Niall had been right, and Princess Park really was the dorm of love. 

He headed inside, passing straight through the first floor communal area. Honestly, Harry didn’t usually tend to hang around the communal areas nearly as much as some people. It was the main socializing place for everyone in the dorm building, and a great place to make friends. 

There was a lovely kitchen, a mini study hall, library and a main room. The Main Room was where most people hung around, lounging in the comfortable chair, reading by the fire or just talking with friends. 

Harry for one, only tended to go down there when he was with Niall and Liam. They would hang around down there every once in a while, but usually had to leave when Niall either got too crazy for them to handle. So they usually just stuck to visiting each other in their dorms. 

The elevator was a smooth ride up, and Harry arrived on the fourth floor in no time at all. He then walked down the hall, looking for his room number. When he opened the door, he could already hear the sound of two different voices inside. 

“Liam!” Harry shouted, running forward and launching himself at his friend. Liam spun around in surprise, a huge smile breaking out on his face. He held his arms open wide, grabbing onto the smaller teen as he lunged at him. 

“Harry!” he exclaimed, hugging him tightly. “I missed you!”

The curly haired boy just laughed, burying his face into his friend’s chest. “What is it with you two missing me so much?” he said, smiling happily. “We saw each other last week!”

Niall seemed to have heard them, as he walked over with a smile on his face. “We can’t help it! A week is way too long to go without seeing you, H!”

“You two are saps,” Harry said as he rolled his eyes affectionately, pulling away from Liam. He then got a chance to glance behind them at the dorm. When he saw it, his jaw nearly dropped to the ground. 

Niall noticed his reaction, and nodded. “I know,” he whistled, patting the dorm wall with love. “She’s a beauty, and she’s ours for the rest of the year.”

“It’s so big!” Harry exclaimed, walking around with wonder. The walls were a smooth grey colour that matched perfectly with the fake hardwood flooring. The room was huge, complete with a living room, kitchen, table and chairs, washroom and two bedrooms. 

“They really were holding out on us last year,” Liam agreed. “Remember your guys’ old dingy dorm room that you had last year?”

“Don’t you dare insult our baby!” Niall exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger. “She wasn’t dingy- just a little rough along the edges…”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Ni,” he said. “But you do have to admit that this room is a whole lot nicer than the ones we had before, that’s for sure.”

Harry nodded in agreement, tracing his hands along the long walls. Stepping over various different moving boxes, he walked over to the large window in the far wall. He glanced out of his, his fingers barely grazing the glass. 

“Wow,” he whispered, his eyes looking around in wonder. “You can see the whole campus from up here. There’s the registration building, and the study hall, and the cafeteria…”

Niall walked over to him, peering over his shoulder. “Yeah,” he said, not nearly as interested. “Pretty cool. Now, come come Liam, we’re moving on to unpacking my bedroom!”

The two boys headed over to the nearest bedroom, carrying several different boxes and bags filled with Niall’s stuff from home. Liam had already unpacked the majority of their dorm already, so there wasn’t much left for Harry to do. He could unpack his things or he could get an early start on studying, but neither of those sounded very much fun. 

“Hey guys!” he shouted, walking over to the couch and plopping down. He pulled out his phone from his pocket, already dialing a number. “It’s nearly six o’clock now! How about we order some pizza and watch a movie or something?”

“Pizza?” Niall asked, peeking his head from the bedroom in excitement. “Yes!”

“I’m down for watching a movie,” Liam said. “Just as long as Niall promises to finish unpacking his things first.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Niall said, waving him off carelessly. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Just as long as Harry remembers to order my favourite. Extra cheesy, extra meaty, extra greasy!”

Liam and Harry both crinkled their noses at that. They exchanged a disgusted glance with each other. 

“I’ll get two pizzas,” Harry said. “One for Niall and one for Liam and I. How does thin crust with black olives sound, Li?”

“Sounds good,” Liam replied. “Or at least, sounds better than what Niall’s having.”

Niall huffed. “Harry, eating your healthy vegan pizza is not what I meant when I told you to loosen up,” he said. “Nobody likes your strange healthy food. It’s weird.”

“It’s not weird!” Harry exclaimed, indignantly. “And I like it!”

“You’re sixteen and as thin as a beanpole for crying out loud! Nobody our age actually likes this stuff!”

Harry huffed, leaning back against the couch. “You’re gonna be sorry when we’re fifty and you’re having regular heart attacks while I eat my strange healthy food,” he muttered, calling the pizza place.

“I heard that!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read the first chapter, you all mean so much to me!!   
> Please feel free to leave a comment on your thoughts of what I have so far! I love you all!!

Harry woke up feeling very uncomfortable. He shifted a little, groaning at his sore limbs. 

Cracking an eye open, he realized that he was still lying on the couch after falling asleep there during the movie. Niall was there as well, passed out on the loveseat across from him. 

Harry stood up, stretching his stiff limbs. ‘Sleeping here was a really bad idea,’ he thought miserably to himself, walking over to his sleeping friend. 

Niall didn’t seem to mind nearly as much, as he was snoring contently, sprawled along the cushions. 

“Niall!” he hissed, shaking the boy by the shoulders. “Come on, Niall! It’s time to get up!”

The teenager snorted in his sleep, shifting away from Harry. 

“Niall,” Harry whined, shaking him harder. “Come on and get up! I want coffeeee! Come get coffee with me, Niall!”

“Go ‘way,” Niall muttered sleepily, grabbing a nearby pillow and hugging it against his chest. Harry huffed, frowning at that. “Let me sleep.”

Harry just pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Niall, please,” he begged, whining a little and trying to sound pathetic enough to get his friend out of bed. 

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. “Go away, Harry,” Niall huffed, swatting around blindly at the boy. 

“Fine,” Harry muttered, ducking out of the way from the blond boy’s swinging arms. “But you owe me for making me go down there all by myself.” 

The teen then grabbed a pair of his grey joggers and slipped them on, along with a plain white shirt. He grabbed his dorm keys, and with a final glare at his friend, he closed the front door. 

Harry wandered down to the communal area, still very tired. He hadn’t bothered to fix his messy curls at all, so they flopped around his head loosely. 

Between his joggers, light shirt and socks with sandals, he really did look like he rolled out of bed. 

He headed straight over to the communal kitchen on the first floor, ignoring people who would occasionally look his way. He recognized some of the guys there, but he hardly noticed them anyway, as his gaze was trained on the free coffee machine on the counter. 

Harry opened his travel mug and slipped it under the coffee machine, happy when he heard the heavenly whirring sound. His mind was still fuzzy and he was still very tired, feeling like he hadn’t slept a wink of sleep all night. 

Harry could feel himself starting to slip into tiredness again, when another body showed up next to him. 

“Here’s not really the best place for a nap, Curly,” the voice said, appearing right next to Harry. “You should probably go back to sleep, you look dead on your feet.”

“I just need my coffee and then I’m good to go,” Harry muttered, rubbing his eyes with his fists as he tried to wake himself up. When he finally did open his eyes, he could properly see Louis looking at him with a small smile on his face. 

“I think you’re gonna need more than a coffee to wake yourself up, Curly,” Louis replied, not looking in the least bit tired. In fact, he looked wide awake and energized and as good as ever. It made Harry a little jealous that he looked so awake. 

“I already told you, my name is Harry. Not ‘curly,’” the teen said with a frown. 

Louis just smirked back at him. “And I already told you, I think Curly suits you better.”

“Why’re you here anyway?” Harry asked, seeing no sign that the guy was trying to get a coffee. “Are you waiting for the machine?”

“Nah, I’m not much of a coffee drinker myself,” he said breezily, watching as a couple of guys walked past them, heading towards the kitchen. “I’m more a tea kind of guy.”

“You drink tea?” Harry asked, his eyes widening in surprise. His surprise must have shown on his face, because Louis barked out a loud and ringing laugh. The sound of it caused several other people to look at them, raising their eyebrows. 

“Try not to sound so surprised,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “Just because I play footie, doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy a good morning cuppa.”

Harry shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed. “I was just a little surprised,” he said quietly. 

There was a beeping sound coming from the small machine on the counter, and Harry looked back at his coffee. It was finished and let off a little steam from the heat. 

“Finally,” he breathed, grabbing the mug. He wrapped both of his hands around it, feeling the heat through the glass as he brought it up to his mouth. He took a sip, feeling the liquid burn it’s way down his throat. He sighed in contentment, his eyes closing in bliss. 

He nearly forgot that Louis was there, completely lost in the drink, until he spoke. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who likes coffee nearly as much as you do,” he said, a smile on his face. It wasn’t his usual smug smirk that he liked to use around people, and Harry couldn’t exactly place his finger on it. 

“Like coffee?” Harry asked, shaking his head. “Oh no, I LOVE coffee.”

“I can tell-” Louis started. 

“Hey, TOMLINSON!” A voice shouted from across the room. Both boys turned around at the noise, watching the guy as he moved towards them. 

He was tall and burly, with a thin mop of blond hair perched on the top of his head. His expression looked angered or annoyed, or maybe he just just ugly.

“Oh, hey Alec,” Louis greeted, watching as the boy marched up to them, two similairly built boys following right behind him. They stomped straight up to Louis, standing right in front of him. 

Harry shrank back, lowering his head in hopes that they wouldn’t notice him. 

The boy, Alec, stood up in front of them. Thankfully he didn’t seem to notice Harry and was focusing all his attention on Louis. “The boys and I want to know when football tryouts are, and when we can try out for team captain.”

Even though Harry was keeping his head down and couldn’t see any of them, he could practically hear Louis raise his eyebrow. 

“Tryouts are in three days on the main field. Be there for three o’clock sharp, or else don’t bother showing up at all.” His tone wasn’t nearly as bright as it had been just a second ago, and was now hard. “And there won’t be tryouts for team captain, because I already hold that post.”

“So we don’t even get to give it a shot?” Alec asked, his frown deepening. “That hardly seems fair…”

“Hate to break it to you, but life isn’t fair either,” Louis said, his tone unwavering. Even though Alec held a whole inch over Louis’ head, he didn’t seem to be intimidated in the slightest by the teen. 

Alec paused, seeming to think everything over. Finally he grumbled. “Guess we’ll be there at three o’clock then,” he said. 

But just as he was about to leave again with his two cronies, he noticed the boy who was practically hiding behind Louis.   
In two long strides, he had walked past Louis and was now staring down at Harry. 

The curly boy felt like cowering further into the counter to try and hide, but realized that there was nowhere left to go. So Harry just stood up straighter, glaring at the bigger boy. 

“Lookie here boys!” Alec said to his cronies, his dark eyes glinting down at Harry. “It’s Harry Styles!” He leaned forward, ‘accidentally’ knocking into Harry’s hands with his own. 

Harry nearly hissed when some of his hot coffee splashed over the rim, burning his hands. But instead, he just clenched his jaw, trying to keep his glare from wavering from the bully. 

Alec laughed out loud, before leaning down and sneering. “Looks like someone’s gotten braver over the summer! I just hope you’ve gotten better at making lunches as well!” he said, then leaned down to talk in Harry’s ear. “And other things.”

Harry shuddered at his tone, taking a step backwards from the teen. Alec picked up on how uncomfortable he was making the smaller boy, and smirked coyly to himself. Without a warning, his hand slipped sown and smacked Harry’s butt, causing him to yelp in surprise. 

But thankfully, Alec seemed to decide that he had had enough ‘fun’ for the moment and decided to leave before he could do anything else. He gestured for his two cronies to follow him, as he turned back and shot Harry a wink. 

It made the curly boy feel sick to the stomach. 

When they were gone, Louis shot Harry a confused look. “You know Alec Henderson?” he asked. 

Harry laughed humorlessly. “I wish I didn’t,” he muttered darkly. He put his coffee down on the counter, and rushed over to the sink. He hissed in pain as the ice cold water flowed over his bright red hands. He kept them under until they had started to burn less and start turning numb instead. 

When he finished, Louis was still standing there, looking at him with an odd expression. 

“What?” he snapped. He was tired and just wanted to go up to his dorm and he was done putting up with the teen. 

“Are you okay?” Louis asked, his face turning into a frown as the sides of his lips tugged downwards.

“I’m fine,” Harry answered shortly. 

But Louis wasn’t satisfied with his answer, and his frown deepened. “Did he… smack your ass?” He asked slowly, no sign of the previous mirth on his features. He just looked concerned.

Harry chose not to answer him, and instead demanded, “what are you even doing down here?”

“It’s the communal kitchen, everyone’s allowed in here,” Louis said with a small shrug, passing him his coffee. “I could ask you the same thing. Now, are you alright?”

Harry ignored him again, continuing. “Why are you here at the same time as me? Are you stalking me or something?” he said the last part, taking a small step back and looking at the boy accusingly. 

Louis just rolled his eyes. “Not a chance,” he replied easily. “I was on my morning run, if you really want to know. I just came inside when you were about to take a nap at the coffee station. For all I know, you could be stalking me!”

“Whatever, Tomlinson,” Harry said, moving past him. He started walking towards the elevator. “Now, I’m going to go back to my dorm for some sleep.”

“Alright, see you around,” Louis said. 

“Hopefully not,” Harry muttered, just before the elevator doors closed. 

***

When Harry arrived back at his dorm, Niall was still fast asleep on the couch. He could probably sleep through a fire alarm if there ever was one, unlike Harry, who could wake up just by the sound of the wind hitting the window. 

As Niall was still sleeping (and would probably be doing so for another hour or so), Harry decided to unpack his room a little. There were only a few boxes he had to sort through, since most of the other stuff had been delivered to hisd dorm a week before. All he really had to do was organize his desk, fold all his clothes and rearrange several things. Before too long, the room was perfect. 

Niall was still fast asleep, so Harry called his sister. He and Gemma had always been close, even when he was away from home for nearly the entire year every year. But they were as close as two siblings could be, and Harry really did look forward to their usual phone calls. 

“Harry?” Niall’s tired voice mumbled a few minutes later. He wandered off of the couch, stumbling tiredly. “Harry? Are you here?”

“Yup,” Harry responded from where he was sitting on the kitchen counter, chewing on a slice of banana bread. “I’m in the kitchen.”

Niall walked over to him, holding his arms open for a hug. Harry quickly supplied, offering him a half hug while the other hand held onto the banana bread. 

Niall hummed tiredly, resting his head against Harry’s shoulder. “What time is it?” he croaked, his voice hoarse from snoring.

Harry shot a glance at the over timer. “It’s nearly eleven in the morning,” he responded. “You’ve been asleep for a while.”

Niall just nodded, not moving from his spot in Harry’s arms. The boys were like that usually, especially when they were tired or emotional. They would hug each other, kiss each other on the head and cuddle when the rough days came around. Sure, it might not be what most people expect, but it was really nice and comfortable. 

Cuddling had become a regular occurance.

“You hungry?” Harry asked, finishing his piece of bread. “I mean, I kind of just ate without you, but I could go for another cup of coffee if you wanted to go out and get some food.”

“Hmm, yeah,” Niall hummed, standing up again. “That sounds great. I’m starved.”

“Yeah? I think that Dream Bean is open today, so we can go down there?” Harry suggested. 

“That sounds great,” the boy replied, heading towards the washroom. “I’m just gonna get a shower and get dressed, and then we can go.”

The two boys were ready forty five minutes later, as they headed across campus. 

The Dream Bean Cafe was the campus coffee shop. It was located on school grounds, which meant that it was very popular for the students to stop by for lunch. It had also become Harry, NIall and Liam’s main meeting place whenever they went out for coffee, since it was so close. 

The two boys got to the cafe, and Liam was already there waiting. He managed to snag a table for them by the window for them all to sit at. When they walked in, he waved them over happily. 

“Ah, finally!” Niall exclaimed as he slid into his chair. “I’m starved!” He picked up his ham and cheese panini and bit down into it, sighing happily. 

Harry just smiled at his friend, taking a gulp of his green matcha latte. He didn’t care if it was considered ‘basic’, he had loved lattes since before they had become popular. He had loved any form of coffee before they had become popular. 

“I think you guys are missing out,” he said, sipping his latte happily. “It’s really good!”

Niall leaned over, looking into the mug. He immediately wrinkled his nose upwards in disgust. “Uh, no thanks,” he said, taking another mouthful of his sandwich. “That looks gross! Why is it green?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Niall, it’s a green matcha latte. It’s meant to be green.” But he too looked at the drink with distaste, “but I do have to agree with Nialler. That looks nasty!”

“Don’t knock it till you try it!” Harry said with a wink. Just to prove his point, he took a big gulp of his drink, letting out an overly exaggerated sigh. “Mmm! So good!”

“Oh sod off!” Liam laughed happily. He flicked Harry in the cheek, causing him to yelp. “You’re too cheeky for your own good! I don’t know how either of us can stand you!”

“Cause you love me!” Harry exclaimed, smiling widely. “Admit it! You couldn’t stay away if you wanted to!” The two other boys just shook their heads, but it was half hearted, but they knew deep down that he was right. 

“So Liam,” Niall asked. “How’s the new dorm mate?”

“Zayn? He’s pretty good,” Liam said. “Not nearly as crazy as either of you two, but he’s nice. Very chill and organized, which is definitely a good thing. But other than that, I honestly don’t know too much about him. You were right when you said that he’s very quiet and closed off.”

“Is his last name Malik, by any chance?” Harry asked.

Liam paused, looking at him in confusion, before nodding. “Yeah, how did you know that?”

“He’s dating Perrie,” Harry explained. “They got together at the start of this summer and hit it off. Have been together ever since then.”

“I didn’t know that!” Niall exclaimed, before grumbling, “Perrie never tells me anything anymore.”

“Good for her,” Liam said, completely ignoring his blond friend. “I’m happy she found someone that isn’t one of those jerks on the footie team. Zayn seems like he’d be good for her.”

“Yeah, she seems happy,” Harry said. The three of them fell into a comfortable silence, each of them pausing to eat their food and drink some of their coffee. They didn’t say anything more about it, just enjoying the time. 

That was until Liam spotted someone. “Uh oh,” he said darkly, his eyes locked on someone behind them. “Don’t look now, but I think I see Alec Henderson coming in here.” 

Harry groaned, slouching down in his seat to make himself smaller. He lifted his hands, covering his face in exasperation. “Just what I needed right now,” he groaned helplessly. 

Niall growled next to him. “If he comes over here, you guys might have to hold me back before I rip his face off,” he glared, already shifting so that he was sitting up straighter and more alert. 

“Niall, stop!” hissed Harry, holding his friend down in his seat. “You're gonna make him see us!”

“Let him see us,” the blond boy responded viciously. “I can take him.”

“You don’t want to get expelled before school even starts!” Liam hissed as well, grabbing their friend’s other arm. 

Together, they managed to hold the angry boy steady in his chair until Alec, flanked by his usual cronies, left the cafe. Luckily, none of them spotted the three boys before leaving. 

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when they had left, realizing that he had been holding his breath the entire time that they had been in the store. The tension that had gathered slowly started to disperse as Niall gently relaxed back into his chair. 

“I hate him,” the irish boy growled, venom in his eyes. This was very unusual for Niall, as he was usually very happy and bright. But when it came to Alec, he turned into a venomous rage monster who was ready to start a fight. 

“Join the club,” Harry snorted, leaning back into his chair as well. “I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to go another year seeing his face nearly everyday. Just my luck.”

“This years gonna be different,” Liam insisted, lightly touching his friend’s arm. “This year, we won’t let him pick on you and steal your lunch everyday. We’re not messing around this year, and he’ll have to leave you alone.”

He had a look of determination in his eyes that almost made Harry believe his words. Almost. Instead, he closed his eyes with a sigh. 

“Because you were messing around last year?” he asked, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. “Face it, he won’t leave me alone until one of us graduates.”

“But you’re gonna stand up for yourself this year, Harry!” Niall shouted, causing several people to look over from the outburst. “It’s a totally new year, and you’re gonna show him that you’re not scared of him anymore!”

“But I still am scared of him,” Harry mumbled weakly. His friend didn’t seem to notice. 

“This year you’re finally gonna stand up for yourself and say ‘I’m not scared of you, Alec Henderson!’ and BOOM! He’ll leave you alone for good!” Niall yelled, standing up from his excitement.

“Niall, please sit back down,” Harry begged, tugging at his friend’s sleeve. He could tell that people were watching them, and he didn’t like it. When it came to making a scene about himself, Harry hated it more than anything. 

Thankfully, Niall sat down, as Liam continued. “He is right, Harry,” he said, much more calmer than their irish friend. “When you first talk to Alec this year, you have to make sure that you let him know that he won’t be able to shove you around and bully you anymore. Be strong!”

“I tried, but he’s like twice my size!” Harry exclaimed, exasperated. “Besides, it’s a little too late for me to do that. I already ran into him this year…”

“What, when!?” Niall shouted, his face turning red from anger. “Did he do anything to you? Did he touch you? Come here, let me see-”

Niall reached over to examine Harry, who quickly swatted his hands away. “No, he didn’t do anything to me,” he said. “I just ran into him while I was getting coffee from the coffee station. He just came up to me and said a few things, then left.”

Liam for one, looked a little surprised. “He just left? Just like that?” he asked, his eyebrows raised all the way up to his hairline. “That’s strange. Maybe he’s decided to finally leave you alone on his own.”

Harry shook his head, sighing sadly. “Not a chance,” he muttered. “He only left me alone because he was asking Louis about footie tryouts. He definitely would have done more than that if nobody else had been there…”

“Hang on,” Niall interrupted, frowning a little. “You were getting coffee with Louis Tomlinson? Uh, since when have you two been friends? You hated him yesterday!”

“I’ve never hated Louis,” Harry denied, sputtering a little. “I just haven’t ever really liked him very much. Besides, we’re not and will never be friends, and we definitely weren’t getting coffee together. He just came in from a run when I was getting my own coffee. That’s all.”

Niall nodded slowly, still frowning. “You certainly didn’t seem to like him yesterday when we ran into him,” he stated. “Why would he just walk up to you? Did he want something?”

Harry shrugged, taking a sip of his drink to avoid talking again. When both his friends just stared at him expectantly, he continued. “I don’t know, he didn’t ask for anything. He was probably just waiting to use the coffee machine,” he lied easily. 

“You know,” Liam said thoughtfully. “Louis isn’t actually that bad of a guy once you get to know him.”

Harry just snorted. “Oh, because you know him so well,” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Louis is only concerned about himself and only cares about the attention he gets because he’s the school’s golden boy. There’s nothing good about him.”

“I don’t know about that,” Liam said with a shrug. “My dorm mate Zayn is pretty close with him, and said that most of the attention he doesn’t actually like very much. Said that he’s actually a pretty good guy once you get to know him.”

“Whatever,” mumbled Harry. “I still think that he’s way too confident in himself and is overly cocky. And until someone convinces me otherwise, I still won’t like him.”

“... he seems to really like you, though,” Niall said quietly. This caused Liam to nearly choke on his water, while Harry turned bright red and smacked his friend’s arm. “What!?” he exclaimed, holding his hands up in surrender, “I’m just saying!”

“Louis freaking Tomlinson is not into me!” Harry hissed quietly, shooting his friend a venomous glare. “So will you please stop saying things like that! I don’t need those kinds of rumours this year!”

“I’ll keep it down, but what other explanation do you have?” Niall said. “We’ve only been here for two days and he’s already offered to walk you to your dorm and he stopped to meet you by the coffee station after his run! Boom, proof!”

“He offered to walk you home?” Liam asked, wide eyed. Niall nodded happily while Harry shot him another heated glare. “Woah, that’s crazy,” he breathed. 

“It’s not crazy! Nothing’s crazy!” Harry hissed. “Now I’m going to leave if you two don’t shut up about Louis Tomlinson! You’re starting to sound like the boy crazy girls at our school!”

His two friends both snorted of laughter, exchanging glances of mirth. Harry just huffed, making a move to stand up. 

“No, Harry, please don’t go!” Liam begged, grabbing his friend’s sleeve. “We promise to stop talking about it, just please sit back down and we’ll talk about something else.”

Harry paused for a moment, before sitting back down in his seat with his arms crossed. 

“Fine,” he grumbled. “What do you two want to talk about then?”

Niall paused for a minute, thinking. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “I know! Let’s talk about footie!”

“What about it?” Liam asked, trying to keep the peace between the two friends as they started a new conversation. Harry didn’t seem to disagree with the topic since he stayed sitting, though he was still pouting. 

“Well, I’m going to try out for the team this year!” Niall said excitedly. “Tryouts are in three days at three o’clock! As long as I have a good tryout, my talent and Louis’ word will definitely get me a spot on the team! Louis said so himself yesterday!”

Harry groaned, hitting his head against the side of the wooden table. “Why does everything have to circle back to Louis?” he complained. 

Liam patted him on the back sympathetically. “Hate to break it to you, H, but you won’t be able to avoid him for long. Everything at this school circles back to him, whether you want it to or not.” He then turned to Niall. “I’m so happy for you! H and I have been telling you that you should try out!”

“It’s true, Ni,” Harry said, popping his head up from the table. “You’re definitely gonna make the team, you’re so good!”

“Thanks guys,” Niall said smiling, his face looking bashful. Harry pulled him into a quick side hug, which Liam quickly joined. 

Niall was one of those people who was very outspoken about other people, but didn’t like to brag about himself at all. He usually didn’t accept sincere compliments, and brushed it off carelessly. But both Harry and Liam knew that he liked the extra boost of self confidence every once in a while, and they were happy to give it. 

“Well, lads, this has been fun,” Liam said, standing up. “But I think I’m gonna head back to my dorm and maybe take a nap. I never get any sleep when I hang around you two at night!”

“See ya, Li!” Harry said, checking his phone for the time. “I think I’m gonna head back as well and maybe get a head start on my studying or something.”

“You will do no such thing,” Niall said, sounding affronted. He too stood up, brushing the crumbs from his sandwich off of his pants. “I’m gonna go too and find something fun for Harry to do. See ya later Liam, don’t be a stranger!”

“With you two?” Liam smiled. “Never!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments you have been leaving are so awesome and are really great. You guys are amazing! I plan to try and update a new chapter everyday!  
> Thanks so much, all the love!

The next few days passed by much quicker than Harry would have liked. He felt like he had just finally moved into the new dorm, and it was nearly time for school to start again. He only had four days left of freedom before it was back to a regular routine of classes and long studying hours. 

He was sitting on his couch with Liam, both of them trying to calm a stressed out Niall. The blond boy was pacing back and forth, chewing anxiously on his nails. He was already dressed up in a pair of loose shorts and a t- shirt, ready for his tryout.

“Mate, calm down,” Liam said with a sigh. “You’re working yourself up for so reason-”

“No reason!” Niall shouted back, spinning around to face them. He was pale and already had a few beads of sweat on his forehead. “How can you say it’s for no reason!? This could make or break my footie career!”

“Career?” Harry questioned, cocking his head to the side. “It’s just a highschool tryout, nothing major. Besides, if you don’t get in, there’s always next year.”

“Don’t get in!?” Niall yelped, his eyes growing wide. “You don’t think that I’ll get in? You don’t think I’m good enough to make the team? You’re probably right! I’m not ready! I’m not good enough!”

Liam shot Harry a look, in which he looked at his hands sheepishly. “No, Niall. That’s not what Harry meant to say,” he assured his friend. “What we mean is that you need to calm down and take a few deep breaths. This isn’t the end of the world or anything.”

“Easy for you to say!” Niall said, continuing pacing. He ran a hand anxiously through his hair, messing it up. “You’re not the one who is going to be trying out for a team in front of the school! I could screw it up and become embarrassed for the whole year! I don’t think I’d ever be able to live that down!”

“Hey, Niall!” Harry said, standing up and grabbing his friend by the shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eyes. “Listen to me, and listen well. You’re amazing. You’re so freaking talented that I think that they should just hand you the spot right away. You’re going to make this team and you’re going to pass with flying colours! And even if you don’t, that doesn't change that you are the best damn footie player that I have ever met in my entire life! And if Louis can’t see that, then he’s just as blind as he is stupid!”

Niall stared wide eyed at his friend. “W-wha-”

“I’m not finished!” Harry shouted, completely cutting the boy off. He was on a roll. “You are so good and so talented that you are going to win that spot on the team! You’re going to crush all of those other guys, because I can guarantee that none of them are going to be nearly as good as you are! You’re going to absolutely demolish them! Humiliate them! Make them wish that they had never left their house this morning! You’re gonna make them-!”

“Harry, Harry!” Liam said, rushing over and grabbing the curly haired boy. “You’re gonna give him a concussion from shaking him so much.”

Harry just blinked, realizing that he had been shaking Niall very roughly as he screamed encouragement at him. The poor boy looked frozen in shock. 

“Oh, erm, whoops,” he said, biting his lip. “Uh, sorry about that, Ni. Got a little carried away…”

Liam nodded, pushing Harry back onto the couch as he stood up next to their friend. “Hey, Ni, mate?” he coaxed, opting to take the softer route. “Harry was a little intense, but he was right about all of it. You’re going to do amazing out there. Just take a few deep breaths and stop worrying.”

“Y-yeah,” Niall managed to say shakily, nodding to himself. “Yeah, ok. I can do this,” 

“Hell yeah you can!” Harry shouted, jumping up from the couch. “Now, let’s get you to that tryout!”

***

Both he and Liam quickly rushed Niall out of the dorm and to the main field as quickly as they could so that he wouldn’t lose his confidence and chicken out. 

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to worry anymore about it and had quickly become his usual self once they stepped foot onto the field. 

The boys from the team last year were all sitting in the dugout, chatting away with one another. They didn’t have to try out again, since they were already on the team, but some of them seemed to have decided to watch the tryouts. Louis and the coach were both standing on the side of the field, talking with one another. 

“Good luck,” Liam whispered quickly to his friend. 

“Thanks,” Niall responded. He flashed them one last smile, before jogging over to the line of guys who were also trying out. Among them was Alec, along with a few of his cronies. They were muttering to each other, and mocking a few of the other guys in line. 

Harry and Liam both made their way up onto the bleachers where the spectators were watching from. There weren’t too many people there watching, but enough to make it a crowd. The two friends had to move up a few rows before they could find a spot together. 

The coach blew a whistle, signalling for the try outs to start. Louis jogged over to them, holding a single football under his arm. 

“Alright everyone, glad you showed up for the tryouts!” he said, smiling at all of them. “As you might know, we only have enough room on the team for five more players, which means that most of you won’t be able to make the team this year.”

A few of them groaned, while others just looked at each other nervously. Niall bit his lip, his eyes turning anxious again. Harry quickly shot him a reassuring smile and a thumbs up, to which he nodded. 

“So first of all, we’re going to start with some basic warm ups to see how good your hand-eye coordination is,” Louis instructed, dropping the black and white ball to the ground. “The first practise we’re going to do is some basic dribbling. We have some cones set up next to the net. You are all going to dribble the ball around each of those cones and then take a shot-”

He quickly demonstrated, and Harry had to admit that he was very good. “Coach and I will be timing you the whole time to see how quick you can be. All set?”

They all nodded, and formed a line next to the first cone. Alec was at the front of the line, and he kept casting smug looks at the guys behind him. “Watch and learn,” he muttered, to which his friends laughed with him. 

When the coach blew the whistle again, Alec took off dribbling the ball around the cones. He passed all eight of them, before lining up and taking a shot at the net. It went in, and the crowd cheered for him, clapping and whistling. 

Harry narrowed his eyes. As much as he hated Alec and all of his friends with a passion, he had to admit that he wasn’t bad at footie. He had only fumbled the ball once that entire time when it had hit the cone accidentally. He obviously wasn’t nearly as good as either Niall or Louis, but there was a pretty good chance that he’d make the team.

“Not bad,” Louis said cooly to Alec, no longer smiling. “34 seconds, plus a 5 second penalty for nicking the cone. 39 seconds in total.”

“Thanks, captain,” Alec responded with a fake smile. He turned to the crowd, who were still cheering for him, and offered them an over exaggerated bow. This made them cheer even more for him.

“Alright, next!” Louis said shortly, as the coach jotted down Alec’s results on the clipboard. 

Alec moved off the field, passing Louis. They seemed to pause, each glaring at the other as they seemed to be seizing each other up. The tension between they was thick, completely different than how it had been a few days prior. Harry wondered what had changed. 

A few more guys did the drill as the line got smaller and smaller. Some of them were pretty good, others were amazing, and there were some who were very bad. Harry thought that he could probably do better then them, which is really saying something. All the while, Louis and the coach would talk quietly to each other, occasionally nodding, as they watched each of the tryouts. 

When it was Niall’s turn, he glanced back at Harry and Liam. they shot him a thumbs up, and he smiled back at them. When the timer started, he expertly kicked the ball back and forth between his feet. He ran swiftly through each of the cones, before kicking the ball into the net. It went in effortlessly. 

“HELL YEAH, NIALL!” Harry yelled, jumping to his feet and fist pumping the air. Next to him, Liam was celebrating just as hard as he cheered loudly. From the field, Niall looked up at them with a proud smile on his face. Harry could swear that he also saw Louis look up at them, and even smiling. But he could have missed it, since he was talking to the coach a moment later. 

“Great job, Niall!” Louis praised, cheerfully. “23 seconds, our best time so far!” He walked over, clapping the blond boy on the back. 

He leaned in, saying something to Niall that no one else could hear. But a moment later, Niall’s face broke into a bright smile and he nodded. 

After a few more minutes, everyone in the line had finished their warm ups. The coach smiled, nodding to himself, which Harry took to be a good sign. None of the guys had been as good as Niall, and he would even go as far as to say that he had been better than them all (though he may have been biased.)

Both Louis and the coach stood next to each other, in deep conversation. Louis had his hands on his hips, and would nod every once in a while before speaking. Harry strained his ears to try and hear what they were saying, but they were talking too quietly. 

“I really hope Niall makes the team,” Liam mumbled into the other boy’s ear. 

Harry hummed, not taking his eyes off the field. “He will,” he said. “He’s going to make the team, I know it.”

The two of them stayed silent, watching the field. Only a few moments later, they seemed to come to a decision.

“Good job everyone,” Louis said to them, clapping his hands together. He and the Coach made their way over to the group, clipboard in hand. “We have tallied up everyone’s time, skill and form and have picked out which five of you will be joining the team this year.”

“Of course we want to thank you all for coming,” the coach said. “You all did very well, and we want to encourage all of you to try again next fall. We made some pretty tough calls today for deciding who’ll be on the team, and we’re quite sad to have to let most of you go. Now, Tomlinson will tell you all which of you will be on the team.”

Louis nodded, taking the clipboard from the coach. He cleared his throat. “Joining our team this year will be Jackson Armstrong, Aiden Fiddler, Alec Henderson, Niall Horan and Zeke Walliams. As for subs, we will be having Peter Melborne and Oliver Jones. That’s all.”

Most of the guys groaned, while others just rolled their eyes or stomped their feet. When the coach started leaving the field, Harry and Liam both jumped up. They squeezed past the crowd, before breaking into a sprint. 

“You did it!” Harry shouted, running across the field. “Niall! You did it!” He threw his arms open, jumping into his friend’s arms. Niall easily caught him, squeezing him tightly. 

“I did it!” He said, excitedly. “I’m on the team! I can’t believe it!”

Liam ran up, finally catching up to the two of them. He surged forward, grabbing the irish into a tight side hug. “We knew you could!” he said, ruffling his hair. 

“Thanks guys,” Niall said, dropping Harry onto the ground. He was still smiling brightly, running a hand through his hair. He looked breathless, and his face was slightly flushed. “I was so nervous I wouldn’t make the cut!”

“‘Course you would have!” Harry exclaimed. “You’re Niall freaking Horan! There’s no way you couldn’t have made the team! You were amazing!”

Niall laughed, throwing his arms over his friend’s shoulders. “You guys are the best, have I ever told you that?”

“Hmmm, you might have mentioned it somewhere along the way,” Liam replied, leaning into his friend. 

“We should go grab some food or something to celebrate,” Harry suggested. “Or better yet, we can get celebratory coffee on me!”

Niall opened his mouth to reply, when he was interrupted. “Hey, Niall!” A voice shouted. “Wait up!”

The three of them turned around to see none other than Louis Tomlinson jogging over to them. He was smiling, which nearly caused Harry to roll his eyes. Instead, he just decided to look annoyed. Niall, on the other hand, just smiled brightly at him. 

“Oh, hey Louis!” he said. “Or should I call you captain from now on?”

“Louis is fine,” he said, waving it off. “Anyway, I was thinking that you and the other new recruits should come over and meet the other team members. Just get to know each other a little bit before training starts next week.”

Niall smiled even more. “Great! I’d love to go meet the other guys!” he exclaimed, letting his arms drop from his friends’ shoulders. He turned, looking at them apologetically. “Eh, we can get celebratory coffee later, ‘kay H?”

“Yeah, sure,” Harry said, trying to not look annoyed for Niall’s sake. Instead, he settled for pursing his lips at Louis. “I guess I can wait until later.”

“Ooh, actually there’s gonna be a party later,” Louis said suddenly. “All the guys on the footie team go to a start of the year party- it’s kinda traditional. It’s gonna be wild, and kinda the team’s way to try out the new recruits.”

Liam looked surprised at that. “Like, some sort of rite of passage to see if they’re any fun or something?” he asked. Louis nodded. 

“Yeah, it’s kinda a big deal,” he said with a shrug. “Everyone in the school’s invited, but it’s mainly for the team and their friends. You guys can come if you want.”

“A party?” Harry asked, raising his eyebrows. “No way. We’ll just get coffee tomorrow or something.”

“Yeah,” Niall said, giving his friend a small, grateful smile. “I’ll see you at the dorm later then, yeah?”

Harry nodded, waving. “Yeah, I’ll see you later,” he said. “Liam, you wanna come over and play some FIFA or something?”

Liam smiled at him. “Do you even have to ask?” he smirked, jogging to catch up with his curly haired friend. “We’ll see you later, Ni! Have fun at the party! Try not to get too drunk.”

“No promises!” Niall exclaimed, barking out a laugh. He turned to Louis, a bright smile on his face, as he motioned towards the dugout where the rest of the team was. “Shall we?”

Louis nodded, biting his lip a little as he watched the two other boys walk off towards their dorms. “Yeah,” he said, tearing his eyes away. “Let’s go!”

***

Liam had left a few hours ago, and Harry was just sitting on his couch, watching Friends. There were empty takeout boxes on the coffee table from where he and Liam had already finished their chinese food, and there were empty glasses on the floor. 

He was bored out of his mind, as he watched the show lifelessly. Harry was used to having Niall around all the time while he was in the dorm, which was never a dull moment. The boy never seemed to run out of energy, and just being around him kept Harry entertained all day. 

But now Niall was at the start of year party, probably living it up with the footie team, and Harry was left at home by himself. He was starting to half wish that he had just accepted Louis’ invitation to the party, but quickly crushed those thoughts. 

There were two things wrong with that. One of them was the fact that he didn’t like parties- hated them in fact. The other was that he didn’t like Louis. 

Louis Tomlinson really was a mystery. There were definitely good things about him, everyone knew that- even Harry. It was impossible to deny that he was a great athlete, a good student and was incredibly blessed with his looks. 

His skin was tanned to perfection, but there were no traces of any of it being fake. His eyes were a deep shade of blue that seemed to twinkle warmly in the sun and were the kind that, if you stared too long, you could get lost in. His jawline and cheekbones were chiseled and pronounced, and could cut stone if they wanted to. And he was extremely tall, broad and fit. 

Basically, he was the embodiment of perfection.

But he was overconfident and cocky, which were two things that Harry couldn’t stand. He was just too full of himself, thinking that he was amazing. The way girls, and guys, threw themselves at his feet for him, just hoping to get noticed was sickening. He was smug and selfish and arrogant, and Harry couldn’t stand it. 

Or at least, that’s what he had been like last year. Last year, Louis Tomlinson would bask in the glory and soak up every drop of it. He didn’t care about anyone who he deemed to be ‘below’ him, and had barely talked to people like Harry unless he absolutely had too. 

He hadn’t bullied people, per se, but he certainly didn’t stop it either. He would occasionally laugh along while someone else would sneer at the nerds, or he would do things purposely to annoy people. 

There were people a whole lot worse than Louis, but there were plenty of people who were much better as well. 

But this year was different, so at least, it seemed different. Of course, Harry had only been back to school for about four days, and classes hadn’t even started yet. But still, he could feel like something had changed in the team captain, but he didn’t know what it was. Louis seemed more, open and friendly towards people. He wasn’t just surrounding himself with the jocks and girls, and seemed to actually be talking to different people. 

Maybe it was just Harry’s overactive gay mind, but it seemed like Louis Tomlinson was talking to him. In the past four days, he had had more interactions with the other boy than he had in his entire life. He had had more conversations with him. Like during the first day of moving in, then again at the coffee station, then again on the football field. Of course those could have all been coincidences, but Harry couldn’t help but wonder.

The boy sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly. It was only eleven o’clock, but he was already ready to go to bed. He was tired, especially since he had only had one coffee that day, and it had been early in the morning. Another reason was probably because he had just moved in and was trying to get back into routine. 

Harry stifled a yawn, checking his phone for any more notifications. There weren’t any, since Gemma and his mum were most likely sleeping or getting ready for bed. Liam had just been by, and Niall was at the party. There wasn’t really anyone else he would expect to text him that late at night.

He sighed, turning off the TV. He hadn’t been watching anyway, as he had been too tired to focus on the show. His mind just kept drifting from moving in, to the start of school, to his family, to Niall, to Liam, to the footie try out, to his classes starting, and anything else he could think of. 

But his thoughts all ended up drifting back to Louis. 

Harry groaned, hitting his head against the cushions of the couch a few times. He couldn’t get Louis out of his head, and he hated it. The boy always made a point of showing up in Harry’s life, and he was now showing up in his thoughts as well! It was frustrating. 

‘I don’t like Louis Tomlinson,’ he thought to himself. ‘I do NOT like Louis Tomlinson. He’s a jerk and he only loves himself. He’s not a good person, and I am definitely not falling for him.’

But as many times as he said it to himself, his body didn’t seem to listen. He hardly noticed that he had opened the instagram app on his phone until he was typing and then searching. 

He found Louis' account after only a few seconds of searching. Surprisingly, the account was private, though it did a ton of followers. 

Since Harry didn’t use instagram very often, he wasn’t following very many people from the school, and wasn’t already following Louis. Because of that, he couldn’t see any of his pictures. 

Before Harry could stop himself, he was already pressing the ‘Request Follow’ button. 

***

“HARR-EH!”

Harry jumped from the sudden yell, falling off of the couch. He had fallen asleep there again and it wasn’t doing anything for his stiff limbs. He groaned when he hit the ground painfully, groping around in the darkness to regain himself. 

“HARR-EH!” Niall yelled again, his voice noticeably slurred. Harry hopped up from the couch in surprise, blinking a few times. He could barely make out the shape of two guys walking into the dorm, one draped over the other. 

“Niall?” He asked, stumbling to get off of the ground. “Niall, what are you-?”

“HARRY-EH!” Niall exclaimed again, his face breaking into a grin. He shoved himself off of the other teen and flung himself at Harry. The curly haired boy’s knees nearly buckled under the weight, but he managed to hold his friend up. 

“Harr-eh, I missed you!”

Niall bent down, placing a big, wet kiss onto Harry’s cheek. It lasted pretty long, and Harry could smell the alcohol off of his breath. 

“Niall, you’re drunk,” He said, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he pulled away from the kiss. “How much did you drink? You’re completely wasted.”

Niall just giggled, clasping a hand over top of his mouth. “I’ll never tell!” he laughed, snorting to himself. 

He then let himself go completely limp, and Harry's knees did buckle this time. The two of them slowly sank to the ground, before another pair of arms grabbed Niall’s boneless body. 

“Need some help?” a deep voice asked, helping as he took most of the weight off of Harry. The two of them stood up. 

“Uhh, thanks,” Harry said. He recognized the voice, but he didn’t quite know who it was. He had to squint his eyes, straining them to make out the features in the dark.

The guy was tall and muscular, that much was obvious. Harry couldn’t make much of his facial features though. 

The guy supported Niall, dragging the boy down the hall. He paused in front of the first bedroom he came across. 

“This one his room?” he asked, his voice thick. Harry nodded, and the guy kicked open the door. He pulled Niall over, before tossing him unceremoniously onto the bed. 

Niall flopped over, grabbing a pillow and hugging it. “Hey, Harry,” he whined, reaching his arms out. “I’m not that drunk, I swear. Please come cuddle me.”

“Go to sleep, Niall,” Harry just said, as the guy started walking towards the door again. Harry decided to follow him out. They walked towards the front door, before the guy stopped. 

“Sorry for just barging in here this early in the morning, but Niall needed to go home,” the guy said, turning to face Harry. They hadn’t closed the door yet, so he could try and make out the guy’s face from the light in the hall. 

He was obviously handsome. He had short, combed back hair that looked a little messy from the party. He also had dark brown eyes that were practically black from the darkness, but they looked kind. 

As he could have guessed earlier, the guy was tall and strong, but what Harry didn’t expect to see were a few tattoos along his arms. 

Harry brushed him off, tearing his eyes away from the tattoos. “Oh, I don’t mind,” he said. “But thanks for bringing him back. You didn’t have to do that, but thanks.”

“Yeah, anyways, I’ll see you around,” the guy said, making a way to leave. 

“Wait!” Harry exclaimed, causing the guy to turn around and look at him with a raised eyebrow. Harry probably would have blushed from embarrassment, but he was too tired and wasn’t really thinking straight. “I- uh- I don’t know your name…”

The guy smiled. “Oh, of course,” he said, holding his hand out for Harry to shake. “I’m Zayn.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love the comments I’ve been getting! You guys are so positive and so sweet, I love you all so much!!

Harry woke up to the sound of groaning coming from the bedroom next door. It was definitely Niall waking up, probably completely hungover with a killer headache. The teen groaned to himself, slowly rolling out of bed. 

He grabbed his joggers, throwing them on. He didn’t bother looking to find a shirt, knowing that he’d have to get changed in a little while anyway. Instead he just grabbed one of Liam’s hoodies that he had left at the dorm from a few days ago, and threw that on as well. 

Harry went straight to the kitchen, getting a glass of water and an aspirin. He knew that Niall wouldn’t be getting out of bed for another hour or two, so he decided that the least he could do was get his friend something to dull the pain a little bit. 

He then grabbed a piece of paper, scribbling down a note quickly. 

It read: ‘Gone to get a coffee. Be back soon! - H.’ 

He read it over again, before nodding and moving towards his friend’s bedroom, putting the things down on his bedside table, before heading for the front door. 

Once Harry got down to the communal kitchen, he started moving towards the coffee machine as if he was on autopilot. 

He was just a few feet away from it too, when someone decided to turn left and cut right in front of him. They probably didn’t even notice that Harry had been about to use it, before they started making their cup. 

Harry scowled, glaring at the person. He was interrupted by his broodiness by a hearty laugh. Harry didn’t have to turn around to know who it was, and it only caused him to scowl even more. 

“Someone’s not a morning person,” Louis said, flouncing his way over to him. 

Harry decided to ignore him. “I’m surprised you’re here this early,” he muttered, casting a glance at the other boy. He was standing there in all of his glory, looking as good as ever. Not a trace of tiredness or hungover in his face. “Shouldn’t you be in bed with a killer headache and a hangover?”

Louis just shrugged, holding a mug in his hands. “I’m not a very big fan of drinking,” he replied simply, “not a big fan of parties or hangovers either, so I usually just bail before midnight.”

“You mean you don’t stick around for the full thing, getting drunk out of your mind?” Harry asked bluntly, before he could stop himself. After he did, he quickly snapped his mouth closed, already flushing in embarrassment. 

Louis just looked down at him, a smirk on his face. “You shouldn’t believe everything you hear, Curly,” he said, playfully. “I thought you knew better than that.”

“Sorry,” Harry said, biting his lip as he studied Louis’ face for a sign of anger. “That was rude, I didn’t mean to say it like that…”

“No harm done, love,” Louis said with a smile and a shrug. “I’m kinda used to getting that sort of thing. Cause obviously you can’t be a guy on the footie team without also being a party crazed alcoholic, or at least that’s what people seem to think. It’s not a problem.”

Harry, as flustered as he had been from just being addressed as ‘love’, managed to force down the blush crawling at his face. “It’s still not ok,” he mumbled, frowning. 

“Yeah, but that’s not your fault,” Louis said with a smile. “Now, you wanna tell me why you’re glaring and looking like you’re about to rip someone’s head off?”

This time, Harry blushed. “I didn’t know I looked that angry,” he mumbled, looking down at his feet. 

Louis just laughed again, shifting closer slightly. “Don’t look so embarrassed,” he said in a tone that could easily have been mistaken for sweetness. “I think it’s cute. So, what’s got you so angry at Charlie over there?”

“I- ehh,” Harry stammered, his face getting even more red. “He’s just- umm- he’s using the coffee machine. And- uh, I was just about to use it.”

“You’re angry about that?” Louis asked, laughing again. Harry looked up and glared at him. 

“It’s not funny,” he pouted, frowning. 

Louis smirked at him. “Kinda is, Curly,” he replied, slyly. “You have a problem when it comes to coffee. Some might say it’s a little worrisome for someone of your size to be drinking that much caffeine.”

“Are you calling me short?” Harry demanded, pouting. He even crossed his arms over his chest, which only made Louis smile wider. 

“No…” the older dawled. “I’m calling you skinny!”

Harry growled, slapping him in the arm lightly. Louis just laughed, his eyes crinkling in the sides as they sparkled merrily. His head was thrown back a little, causing his feathery hair to bounce lightly around on his head. The mere sight of it caused Harry to forget about being angry about being called small, and smile a little.

“You’re so mean!” Harry exclaimed over the laughter, not able to contain the small smile on his lips even as hard as he tried. Louis’ laughter was just so bright and bubbly, it was contagious. “Fine, I’m leaving then.”

“No, don’t go!” Louis said, still laughing. He stopped, but was still smiling. “I have something that you can’t resist.”

“If you say your good looks and your charm, I might just throw up.”

“No- but those too actually,” he then tapped his mug, which he still hadn’t drank out of. He was holding it just high enough that Harry couldn’t see what was inside, only the steam coming off of it. “I have the one thing you can’t resist right here in this lil mug.”

“Coffee!?” Harry practically squealed, standing on his tiptoes to peek into the edge of the mug. Sure enough, there was a steaming black coffee in the mug, completely untouched and still hot. 

Harry was about to reach out for the cup, but stopped himself. “Wait, I thought you didn’t drink coffee,” he said, suspicious. 

Louis just handed him the cup with a smirk. “I don’t.” Then he was off, walking down the hall towards the front door, leaving Harry staring at him, gaping with wide eyes with the mug in his hands.

***

“What is wrong with me!” Harry cried, his face shoved downwards into his pillow. He was lying face down in his bed later that day. “This isn’t happening! This can’t be happening!”

Niall winced, pausing rubbing his friend’s back to rub his temples. “Stop screaming, I’m still recovering from a killer headache,” he said, groaning silently. “Now, just tell me a little slower what happened, and then I can share my wisdom.”

Harry snorted at the word ‘wisdom’, but rolled over nonetheless. He pulled his phone off of his nightstand, practically shoving it into his friend’s face. “Look at this! Look!” he yelled. 

“I can’t see anything when you’re shoving it in my face!” 

Harry huffed, letting his hand drop a little away. “Look,” he said, pointing at a notification from his phone. Niall scrunched up his face as he studied it. 

“What? A friend notification from Instagram?” he asked, perplexed. 

“Look who the friend notification is from!” Harry insisted, pointing at the phone again. 

“Louis?”

“Yes, Louis!” Harry shouted back, burying his face back into his pillow once again. “This can’t be happening,” he groaned into the soft sheets. 

Niall just rolled his eyes. “Oh, stop being such a drama queen,” he said. “It’s just a friend request. I get them all the time.”

“But I don’t! I never get them! Let alone from people like Louis Tomlinson!” Harry cried. “What am I going to do?”

“Harry, it’s really not a big deal. Just accept it and move on in your life,” Niall consoled. “Really, I don’t think it means anything, other than the fact that maybe he wants to be friends. It doesn’t mean anything else, so just calm down.”

“Right,” Harry said, taking a few deep breaths. “Thanks Niall. I’ll just ignore the request, forget about him getting me coffee, stop talking to him and then everything will be fine.”

“Hold on- WHAT!?” Niall yelled, causing Harry to jump in surprise. He didn’t even seem to notice his headache anymore, and his eyes were wide. “He got you coffee!? When?”

“Erm,” stuttered the curled teen, taken aback from his friend’s sudden change in attitude. “I mean- he, uh- there was sort of a line at the- uh- at the coffee station and Louis- he just showed up with a- um, a coffee. And then he said that he didn’t actually drink it, so he just- erm, gave it to me…”

“Bloody hell…” Niall muttered after a long moment. He seemed to be deep in thought, or trying to picture it or something, because his eyes were slightly unfocused. “Bloody hell, Harry…”

Harry flushed a little at that, shaking his friend’s shoulder a little. “But it doesn’t change anything. It still didn’t mean anything else, and he still might only want to be friends. It doesn’t change anything from earlier, right Ni?”

Niall jumped from the bed, looking at Harry with huge eyes. “Harry!” he exclaimed, surprising the other boy. “This changes everything! He got you coffee!” 

“It doesn’t mean anything-”

“Coffee, Harry! He got you coffee! You! Getting you coffee is a big deal!” Niall yelled, pacing around. “This changes everything! What does this mean? Does he like you? Do you like him?” He stopped suddenly, his eyes growing even wider as he leaned towards Harry. “Do you like him?”

Harry’s face grew hot as he shook his head vigorously. “Niall, no! Of course not!”

“Harry. Don’t lie to me. It never ends well for you.”

“I’m not lying, Niall! I don’t like Louis!” Harry denied quickly, but his face was getting steadily redder. His blond friend studied his face closely. 

Niall jumped to his feet, pointing accusingly at his friend. “You do, though!” he yelled. “Oh my gosh! You like Louis Tomlinson! And he might like you back! Oh my gosh!”

Harry leapt to his feet, grabbing Niall and covering his mouth with his hand. “Shut up! Someone might hear you!” he hissed. 

Niall pulled his mouth away from Harry’s sweaty hand, and looked at him with a shocked expression. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “You’re admitting it! You like Louis Tomlinsosn.”

“No I’m not!” he quickly denied. 

“But you do! You like him, and he got you coffee!” Niall responded. “I can’t believe this! What if you too start dating? You’d be dating Louis freaking Tomlinson! My best friend would be dating the captain of the footie team! Do you know how big this is?”

“You just said that it wasn’t a big deal just a few seconds ago,” Harry frowned. “So, why does it have to be a big deal now?”

“Because before nothing mattered! Now you like him, and everything is different!” Niall exclaimed, motioning around vigorously with his hands. “It matters a whole lot more now that it actually means something! Now that you actually like him!”

“Stop saying that!” Harry hissed back, sitting back on the bed and burying his face into his hands. He groaned to himself. “What am I going to do?” he asked. 

“What do you mean? Accept the friend request for a start!” Niall said, making a grab for the phone. “Or better yet, I’ll accept it for you-”

“Don’t you dare!” Harry yelped, jumping across the bed with his phone clutched against his chest. Niall just lunged for him again, and he screamed. “Niall! Stop! You’re not doing it!”

“I will if you won’t!” he shouted back, lunging for the other boy. Harry yelped, jumping off the bed and making a run for it out of the bedroom. “Harry! You’re being childish!”

“Stop chasing me!” Harry yelled back, running around the apartment. He jumped over the couch, Niall quickly following behind him in tow. “Niall, leave me alone!”

He sprinted to the kitchen, but Niall was right on his tail. While Niall was on the footie team and was a fast runner, Harry was naturally quick when it came to running. He dashed behind the counter, only for the other boy to hop over it. 

“Hand the phone over, Harry!” Niall yelled, and Harry sprinted to the door. He threw it open, and then proceeded to run down the hall in his bare feet. 

“Catch me if you can, leprechaun!” Harry shouted back, cackling loudly as his feet pounded against the carpeted floor. Niall growled playfully at the nickname, surging his feet forward in chase. 

Harry was laughing and gasping for breath as he ran down the dorm halls. He was running out of places to go, since they were coming up on a corner. But Niall was gaining on him and he wasn’t about to get caught so easily. 

Harry felt the body before he saw it.

“Oof!” Harry grunted, slamming against another body. He was sent crashing to the ground, landing on his butt in the middle of the hall. 

His breath hitched as he hit the ground painfully, and he winced knowing that it was gonna bruise- but he did bruise like a peach. The other guy grunted as well, but managed to stay on his feet. 

Niall came running around the corner only a second later. “Harry, I-!” Niall yelped, tripping over the curly haired boy on the floor. Niall then went crashing down as well, causing him and Harry to become a tangled pile of limbs on the carpet. 

“Woah!” the guy exclaimed, taking a step back before regaining himself. “What the hell are you two doing!?” The two boys looked up in unison, recognizing the voice as being Zayn’s. He was standing there, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at them. 

“Oh!” Harry exclaimed, trying to get up, but only ending up falling back over again. “Sorry, Zayn- we were just-” he cast a glance over at his blond friend, unsure how they were going to explain themselves.

Niall, on the other hand, seemed to have other things on his mind than apologizing. “Uh, I could ask you the same thing,” he shot back, glaring. “Your dorm isn’t even on this floor!”

“That’s because he was visiting mine,” a voice said from the doorway just behind Zayn. Harry cringed when he heard it, cursing his bad luck once again. “Honestly didn’t think I’d be seeing you around this soon, Curly. What, can’t keep away?”

“You wish,” Harry scowled. He desperately wanted to get away from there as soon as possible, and he tried to stand up. 

But his legs were trapped under Niall’s body, and he tripped over again almost as soon as he tried to get up. He flushed a little, shoving his friend. “Niall, get your fat arse off of me!”

“Only if you get your scrawny arse off of me!” the boy shot back, also struggling to get up. But they were trapped under each other in a way that made it difficult and awkward. 

Zayn was still looking at them with a scowl on his face, but now Louis was by his side, who had a very amused expression on his face. His expression just made the whole situation all the more embarrassing. 

“Need a hand?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at them. 

“No,” Harry shot back at the same time that Niall replied: “Yes.”

Louis chuckled out loud, crouching down to help untangle them. His hands brushed over Harry’s, and Harry could feel himself blush from the touch. He masked it as either embarrassment or anger, either one would have been better than showing how flustered he was getting from being so close to the other boy. 

Once they were untangled, Harry shot to his feet and brushed himself off. Maybe if he pretended that it didn’t happen then it would maybe be less embarrassing. But by judging Louis and Zayn’s expressions, he figured it would be the same amount of embarrassment. 

“Thanks,” Harry all but muttered, before he was speed walking around the corner. If only he could get to the corner as calmly and quickly as possible, then he could run all the way back to his dorm and be safely inside. 

But there wasn’t a chance of that happening, because at that moment, Niall decided to open his big mouth. 

“So Louis,” he said, sounding as nonchalant as he could be. “Heard you have been quite active on instagram lately. But I have to say, I’m a little disappointed that Harry got a friend request before I did.”

Harry’s head snapped over to look at his friend with wide, panicked eyes. But Niall wasn’t even looking at him, he was watching Louis, who seemed to have gotten the tiniest blush colouring his cheeks. 

“I- um-” he stammered, glancing over at Zayn, who was watching him with raised eyebrows. “I didn’t have your username.”

Niall watched the other guy intensely for a few more seconds. All Harry wanted to do was die at that moment, wishing that the ground could just swallow him up. After a moment, Niall just shrugged. “No problem mate,” he said. “I’ll just get Harry to give it to you later-”

“Niall!” Harry exclaimed, grabbing his friend by the wrist. “We have to go now, remember?”

Niall turned to look at him with wide eyes. They could easily have been mistaken for innocence, but Harry knew better. He could see the mischievous glint in his blue eyes, and he hated it. “We do?” he asked, innocently. “I don’t remember that…”

“Yes, Niall. We do,” Harry growled, dragging the blond boy down the hall. He quickly shoved Niall behind the corner, before turning back to look at the two boys. He locked eyes with Zayn, looking apologetic. “Sorry again for running into you.”

Zayn waved him off. “It’s fine,” he said with a lopsided grin. “Besides, I wasn’t even the one who ended up on the floor.”

Harry just smiled back at him. Just before ducking around the corner as well, he cast a look over at Louis. The teenaged boy was looking right back at him, a look that Harry couldn’t recognize on his face. 

He then ran down the hall, not wanting to find out what it was.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I have to thank all of you for leaving kudos and comments! I also wanted to say that, even though I updated three times yesterday, I plan on only updating once a day from now on.
> 
> So this chapter is taking place on the first day of school, so be prepared for some ~tension~ :)

The last few days flew by in a blur. Harry spent nearly every moment setting up the dorm, talking with his family, and with Niall and Liam. He had spent nearly every single minute with them everyday, and it was great. But it was also tiring, and Harry was tired even before school started. 

But soon enough, classes were starting to roll around and it was soon time to go back to school. Which meant that they were back to waking up early, going to bed late and studying for hours in between. 

Even though it was only high school, St Lilian acted like it was more like uni. Which could be very exhausting for students. 

Then, before any of them were ready for it, Monday was coming around which meant that it would be time to head back to school. 

***

The obnoxious alarm beeped loudly. It was 6:00 am sharp, right on time. Harry groaned, rolling onto his side so that he was facing away from the ratched machine. He didn’t have the energy to get up that early, let alone to cross the bedroom to actually turn it off. 

After a few more minutes of willing the alarm to turn itself off, the teen finally decided to get out of his bed. He had too, actually, or else he’d be late for the first day of grade eleven. And being late was absolutely not an option if he wanted to get an iced coffee from Dream Bean before class started. 

He rolled off of the mattress and stumbled his way sleepily over to his dresser. He rummaged around for a few moments, before pulling out a pair of his usual black skinny jeans. They were a mix between the type of jeans that could be considered tight and fitting, but didn’t make his legs look like twigs. He paired with a white quarter sleeve, looking at himself in the mirror. 

There wasn’t much else he could do for his appearance, but he grabbed a comb and brushed through his curls a little. They weren’t too long, only dropping a little below his ears, but his hair was thick and completely out of control. Harry just brushed it a little until they looked slightly more managed, and then nodding at his reflection. 

Surprisingly, Niall was actually awake and dressed before Harry. He was wearing a pair of light jeans and a Rolling Stones shirt. His blond hair was brushed back as well, and even looked like there was some gel in it, which was unusual. 

There wasn’t much time, so Harry skipped eating breakfast. Niall grabbed a cold piece of pizza from the night before, cramming it quickly into his mouth as they walked out the door. The two of them nearly sprinted to Dream Bean while Harry grabbed his iced coffee (which was definitely not an option). They then took off running to the school, schedules clasped tightly in their hands. 

The two of them ran into the courtyard, where everyone was already gathered. They spotted Liam, and jogged over to him. 

“Hey,” Liam said when they got closer. “It’s nearly time to go in, where have you two been?”

Both boys were both slightly out of breath from running the whole way, and were panting. “Sorry,” Harry gasped. He held up his coffee in his hand, “we had to make a quick stop.”

Liam shook his head, tutting. “Someday, coffee is going to be your downfall.”

Harry just smiled at him. “Oh, I’m counting on it,” he replied cheekily. 

“What’s everyone’s first class?” Niall asked, glancing at his schedule. “I have science first thing with Ms Frerdinand. Ugh, that sucks!”

Liam reached over and patted his friend comfortingly on the back. “It’s ok, babe, I’m sure you’ll survive,” he said, before looking at his own schedule. “I have english first with Mrs Burton. I heard that everyone likes her though, so that’ll be good.”

“Hey, I have her class first too!” Harry exclaimed, excitedly. Liam smiled, and they high-fived happily. Niall just huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“No fair! You guys get to be in the same class and I have to go to stupid science by myself,” he whined, pouting a little bit. 

Harry reached over and poked him in the cheek. “Oh, you’ll live through it, baby,” he cooed. “It’s only one class, I’m sure you’ll manage.”

Niall smacked his hand away, frowning even more. “Get off me, you twat!”

Harry and Liam just laughed. They talked for only a minute longer, before the bell rang. 

All the students poured into the building, as they pushed their way through the doors. Harry was nearly flattened by some of the other older students, and probably would have been if it weren’t for Liam dragging him through the crowd while Niall yelled at people to get out of the way. 

The three of them managed to squeeze through the crowded doorway, and into the corridor. Thankfully, they all had lockers in the same section of the school, so they headed there first. 

Harry had managed to snag a top locker, which was very lucky. The school was set up so that the taller student always got the top locker, and the shorter student always got stuck with the bottom locker. Because of that, Harry nearly always got a bottom locker, and it always sucked. But this year, there was a tiny guy named Ernie who had the bottom, and Harry got the top for a change. 

He quickly shoved all of his things in, before turning around to see Liam waiting for him. “Come on then, slow poke,” he said, looking at his watch anxiously. “We’ve got to get going to class!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Harry replied, grabbing his books and closing his locker. Together, he and Liam then jogged down the halls together. 

The two of them pushed open the classroom door, only to see Mrs Burton looking at them with raised eyebrows. The rest of the class was all lined up at the back wall, staring at them with pursed lips.

“Sorry we’re late, Mrs Burton,” Harry said, sheepishly. 

The teacher gave a small sigh. “It’s alright, Mr Styles. Just you and Mr Payne need to get here a little earlier next time, or else I won’t be letting you off as easily next time. Now, please go to the back of the room with the rest of the class.”

“Thank you, Mrs Burton,” Liam said, grabbing Harry’s arm and pulling him over. They quickly shuffled their way into the line, near the very back. 

Harry was trying to avoid his classmates' stares, as he shrank into the group. 

The teacher went and stood in front of her desk, clapping her hands together once. “Hello class, as you probably know I am Mrs Burton and I’m going to be your english teacher for the year! Now, before we actually begin the teaching part, I’m going to assign everyone a seating arrangement-”

The class cut her off, everyone groaning. A seating arrangement was the worst thing that could happen when it came to seating. Everyone wanted to sit by their friends, and a seating plan meant that they wouldn’t get to for the entire year. It sucked. 

Mrs Burton shot them a glare. “Now, none of that,” she scolded. “I’m not going to be seating you in a boy, girl, boy, girl type of order, because I find that quite sexist. So instead, I’m going to seat you all in alphabetic order.”

Harry’s hopes were briefly lifted. If they were in alphabetical order, there was a very good chance that he would get to sit next to Liam. After all, Payne was only two letters from Styles. 

Mrs Burton tapped the front of the first desk with her hand. “Hannah Abbot,” she said. A girl shuffled up from the group, looking shy. She shuffled over to the first desk and sat down quickly. The teacher then moved onto the next desk, “James Armstrong.”

She went on to the next few desks, and the crowd slowly started to become smaller and smaller. Because ‘S’ was near the end of the alphabet, and there weren’t very many people with last names that came after that, Harry was going to be near the back. He didn’t mind that, of course, especially if he could get to sit next to Liam. 

“Zachary O'Leary. Liam Payne,” she said, tapping another desk. Liam smiled at Harry once more, before going to take his spot next to the guy named Zachary, who looked like he had just smoked a joint or something. 

The desk was at the end of the row, so if Harry got to sit there, he and Liam would be able to sit next to each other in the same row. 

“Wally Shepard,” the teacher said, tapping the desk next to Liam. Harry silently groaned as the redheaded kid with glasses went to sit by his friend. The teacher moved to the back row, tapping another desk. “Harry Styles.”

With a scowl on his face, Harry walked over to the desk that the teacher had pointed out for him. He plopped down onto it, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance. Mrs Burton didn’t seem to notice as she moved to the desk next to him. 

“Louis Tomlinson,” Harry’s head snapped up as he watched none other than Louis Tomlinson saunter over to the chair. He sat down into the seat, looking up and giving Harry one of his slyest smirks. 

“Surprised to see me, Curly?” he asked, chuckling at the other boy’s expression.

Harry realized that he must look as surprised as he felt, and quickly replaced it with a frown. “I didn’t know that you were taking this class,” he muttered, feeling a bit of a blush start to creep onto his face. 

He forced it down, refusing to make an even bigger fool of himself in front of the footie captain. 

“Everyone has to take english,” Louis said, leaning back in his chair. The simple movement made him look even cooler and popular, if that was possible. It made him look like he didn’t have a care in the world. “But believe me, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to.”

“Oh, I believe you,” Harry muttered, rolling his eyes and turning to look at the front of the classroom. 

Mrs Burton was still telling the final few people where they would be sitting for the rest of the year, so there was nothing actually to look at at the front of the room. But Harry was determined to look like he was paying attention to something much more important than Louis. 

“Hello, Curly?” Louis asked, trying to get his attention. Harry resisted the urge to turn around and look at him, instead staying focused on the front. 

Thankfully, Mrs Burton was already moving to the front of the room, which meant that soon he’d have something to pay attention to. 

Before he knew what was happening, there was the quiet sound of a chair moving towards him. Harry finally looked over in surprise, seeing Louis move his desk closer towards him. Louis was still watching him, so Harry quickly looked away. 

“Aw, why are you ignoring me, curly?” he asked, his voice much closer than Harry would have liked. Even though there was still a gap in between the two tables, it still felt like he was too close.

“I’m not ignoring you,” he denied, trying his best to listen to what the teacher was saying from the front of the room. 

Louis didn’t even seem to be trying to listen to the teacher, as he leaned closer to the curly haired boy, causing him to shift away in his seat. “And now you’re lying to me,” he stated. “You really don’t like me, do you, curly?”

Harry stiffened. “No,” he said, and he didn’t know if he was trying to convince Louis or himself of it. “No, I do not like you.”

“Why not?” Louis asked. “I’m a very likeable person. Plus, I’m very nice.”

“Likeable? Nice?” Harry snorted. “I didn’t think you knew those words.”

Louis didn’t even look offended, and he just smiled even wider. “Of course I’m likeable!” he said. “I have quite a few friends if you haven’t noticed, and everyone likes me. Maybe it’s you who isn’t very nice.”

Harry turned and glared at him. “I’m very nice,” he shot back. “You’re not nice; you’re just admired and intimidate everyone. You’re cocky and overconfident and you make everyone worship you. That’s not being nice, that’s being popular. Besides, you don’t even remember my name.”

This time, Louis’ smile dropped a little. “I know your name, Harry,” he said quietly. “And, just saying, I seem to have been a whole lot nicer to you than you have to me since we got here.”

“Mr Tomlinon!” Mrs Burton exclaimed from the front of the classroom. “May I ask why you are still talking instead of listening like the rest of the class?”

Louis looked up, smiling at her and blinking innocently. “I’ve been trying to focus,” he said, sweetly. “But Harry Styles is being very distracting.”

Mrs Burton then turned her glare to focus on Harry. “Mr Styles, you have already caused one disturbance today and I don’t want another one,” she said. Harry nodded silently, causing her to nod in approval and go on talking to the class. 

Once he was sure that the teacher was no longer watching him, Harry looked over to glare at Louis angrily. “That’s not fair!” he hissed. “I wasn’t distracting you! You were the one who kept talking to me!”

Louis bit his lip through his smile. “Oh, Harry,” he said quietly in a tone that made Harry shiver, his eyes flicking down then back up. “You don’t need to talk to distract me.”

This time, Harry couldn’t hide his blush. His mouth parted open and his eyes grew wide in surprise while he inhaled sharply. Louis just looked smug, leaning back in his chair and looking towards the front of the class. 

***

By the time it was lunch, Harry was just about done with Louis Tomlinson. He had the misfortune of being stuck in two different classes with him that day, which was unlucky since there were only four classes in the morning. 

After suffering through english right next to him, Harry was thankful that at least when he was in math class, he didn’t have to sit by him. There wasn’t a seating plan in math, so Louis had sat beside one of the guys on the footie team while Harry sat by himself. 

Unfortunately, neither Liam nor Niall had been in any more of his morning classes. It was annoying, but he knew that Niall was in one of his afternoon classes. Ed Sheeran and Perrie Edwards were in art with him, so he was at least grateful that he had them. 

After the bell rang, Harry could feel a pit starting to grow in his stomach. The pit only knew heavier and heavier as he walked towards his locker. He genuinely felt sick as his insides felt like they were tying themselves into knots. 

Each step felt like lead as he shuffled towards his locker. Once he got there, he nearly sighed in relief when there wasn’t anyone standing there. Well, Ernie was crouched at his locker, but no one that Harry was expecting to be there was there.   
Harry opened his locker and quickly pushed his books inside. He was just about to pull his bag out of his locker, when he felt a presence right next to him. He could already tell that it wasn’t Niall or Liam because he knew their presences well enough. He also guessed that it wasn’t Perrie, Zayn, Ed or Louis. 

Without a warning, there was a sharp pain in Harry’s ribcage as someone slammed their fist in there. He gasped in pain, arms flying down to protect said area. There were already tears forming behind his eyes from the sudden pain, but he quickly blinked them away. 

“Hey freak,” a voice snarled next to his ear. Harry didn’t need to look up to already know that it was Alec Henderson. “Got my lunch for me?”

Harry looked up, his eyes glowering with hate. Without a word, he reached into his bag and pulled out his lunchbox. Alec gave him a malicious smirk, before reaching over and snatching the lunchbox from his hands. 

“Pleasure doing business with you, freak,” he spat. He then grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt, and pulled him in close. Harry’s eyes widened in fear, and he tried to pull back, but the bigger boy had his hand clasped tightly around his shirt, preventing him from moving. “I look forward to doing other kinds of business with you this year as well.”

Harry was nauseous from those words, and felt like he could throw up right then and there. Alec was just about to turn his back and walk away, when he swung back and shoved Harry against the locker. Then, with one final sneer, he walked away. 

Harry groaned, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the metal locker. It didn’t hurt too bad, but he could already feel a lump starting to form underneath his hair. He winced as his hand brushed over it, flaring in pain. 

The halls were still buzzing with movement, and anyone who might have seen Alec shoving Harry against the locker didn’t bother sticking around to care. Nobody was looking his way, which was a good thing and a bad thing. Bad thing because it meant that no one could help him from the bully, but a good thing because it meant that nobody would be telling any teachers. 

There was a known rule around the school that teachers only made everything much worse. They would try and involve themselves, and this would agitate everyone. It made you look weak, and it only caused people to bully you even more. The only way you could ever get free of being bullied was either by getting someone more powerful on the social status to stand up for you, or for you to stand up for yourself. 

And since there were very few people higher on the school social status than Alec, there wasn’t a chance. The only people who could stand up to the bully were people on the footie team, but Niall didn’t count. Plus, there was no way that Harry was going to grow an extra five inches and gain forty pounds, so there wasn’t a chance of him to stand up for himself either. So he just had to accept his fate. 

Harry straightened up, taking a deep breath. He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t affected by Alec’s bullying. It made him feel terrible and ruined his entire day. Plus, he always was forced to skip lunch, and was always left hungry for lunch. So, shaking off the pain, he walked towards the school cafeteria. 

Harry walked into the crowded cafeteria, looking around the room. There were many different tables lined up in rows. And, of course, there were the usual high school stereotypical cliques. 

First of all, there was the table of footie boys. They all sat at that table in all of their intimidating glory, and nobody else was ever allowed to sit with them. 

At another table sat the ‘popular girls’, who sat as close to the footie boys as possible. They basically just sat there, starving themselves, as they gossiped meanly about everyone else. 

Then there were the nerds and the band geeks, the stoner-skaters, the drama club, the quiet art students, and more. 

Harry made his way over to the table where he had reserved for his friends. Liam was already sitting there, with both Niall and Ed sitting next to him. He walked over to the table, and plopped down onto the seat. 

“Hey, H,” Liam greeted, his eyes dropping down to look at the empty place in front of him. “So, I’m guessing it didn’t go too well with Alec…”

Harry just groaned out loud, burying his face in his hands as he slumped against the table. He didn’t need to respond for all of them to already know the answer. Ed patted him on the shoulder sympathetically, while Niall looked at him with a deadpan. 

“Honestly, Harry,” he huffed. “He’s never going to stop if you don’t stand up to him! You need to fight back and stop letting him walk all over you.”

Harry just huffed, running his hands through his curly locks. “Don’t you think I would do that if I could? I’ve tried to stand up to him, but I can’t! He’s just too-”

“Big? Strong? Popular? Intense? Terrifying? Intimidating?” Ed supplied.

Liam nudged him. “You’re not helping!” he hissed. 

“Oh, right, sorry H,” he said sheepishly.   
But Niall wasn’t having it. “Did you let him hurt you again?”

Harry was getting angry. “I don’t let him hurt me, Niall!” he snapped. “I don’t want him to steal my lunch everyday and bully me. Don’t you think that if I could’ve done something, I would’ve!?”

“So he did hurt you?” Liam asked, looking more worried than angry. His eyes scanned over Harry’s body quickly, looking for any sign that he was hurt. 

Harry shook his head. “No, not really anyway. Just shoved me against my locker and got a jab to my ribs. Nothing bad.”

“Nothing bad!?” Ed exclaimed, his eyes wide. “This- this isn’t right! Nobody should be allowed to hurt you, even if it isn’t major. Blimey, Harry!”

“I’m fine, Ed,” Harry snapped, gritting his teeth together. “Now, can everyone just leave me alone about this and talk about something else?”

The three other boys nodded, exchanging glances. “Right, erm,” Liam mumbled, changing the subject. “We- Harry and I, that is- had english today. We got a seating plan, so be prepared for it when you have her class later.”

“A seating plan? Are you serious?” Niall grumbled. “We’re in grade eleven, for crying out loud! We should be able to pick our own seats for a change.”

“Yeah,” agreed Liam. “I’m stuck in between Zachary O’Leary and Wally Shepard. Not exactly the dream team. But it beats Harry, who’s stuck next to-”

“Can we talk about anything other than Louis Tomlinson?” Harry glowered. 

He watched as Niall and Liam exchanged knowing smiles, and Harry felt his frown deepen. He really didn’t like where this was going. Plus, his two friends were just starting to get on his nerves. He didn’t say anything, just sulked further down in his spot. 

There was a loud burst of laughter coming from the other end of the cafeteria. They all looked over in surprise from the outburst, only to see it was the footie team. They were all laughing out loud at something one of them had said. Both Alec and Louis were there, sitting on either side of the table as they hung out with the other athletes. The sight of them made Harry scowl. 

“They seem like they’re having fun…” Niall mumbled, probably trying to be just quiet enough for none of them to hear him. But Harry heard him, and he looked at his friend in surprise. 

“Niall!” he exclaimed, his eyes widening. “What are you doing over here?! You’re on the footie team now, you should be sitting with them!”

Niall quickly tore his longing gaze away from the table. “No, no way,” he shook his head vigorously. “I like sitting at this table with you guys. You’re my best mates, and I wouldn’t leave you to go have lunch with the footie guys.”

Liam also seemed to have noticed the longing in Niall earlier, and quickly jumped to Harry’s side. “Go have lunch with them,” he insisted, giving the blond boy a small shove. “You’re on the team now and you should be able to have lunch with them.”  
Niall shook his head again. “No, I like you guys better anyways. I don’t want to trade our lunches for them.”

“You’re being ridiculous, Niall,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “You’re not trading anything. You’re just going to have lunch with your team. It’s not a permanent thing or anything, but you should do it every once in a while.”

“Are you sure?” Niall asked, biting his lip as he cast another glance over to the other table. They were all laughing about something again, and looked to be having a fun time. Sure, both Louis and Alec were there, but Harry wasn’t about to let his personal enemies get in the way of Niall going to sit with his team. 

“Definitely,” He replied, shooing his friend away from the table. “Now go, make some new friends! Just don’t even think about replacing us!”

Niall just smiled back at them once more, before grabbing his lunch from the table. He practically skipped over to the table in happiness, especially when Louis noticed him. Louis quickly smiled warmly and waved him over, patting the seat next to him. 

Harry was watching the exchange, biting his lip. Louis was laughing about something Zayn had just said, his arm draped around Niall’s shoulders. He would occasionally throw his head back and bark out a laugh when someone said something especially funny. The sound was like music to Harry’s ears, and he thought that he could listen to it forever. 

“Harry? Harry, are you listening?” Ed asked, waving an arm in front of Harry’s face. He quickly snapped out of thought, looking over in surprise. 

“W-what?” he stuttered, feeling his face slowly turn red. Ed was looking at him with a confused expression while Liam was watching him with a frown and raised eyebrows. Their looks only added to his embarrassment. 

“I said,” repeated Ed. “Do you want some of my lunch?”

Harry blinked at him a few times, trying to clear Louis from his mind. It was hopeless, since his laughter echoed in his head every time he heard the table laugh. Louis’ ringing voice just seemed to stand out. 

“Erm-” he stammered. “No thanks, Ed.”

“Alright then,” the other boy said with a shrug. “Suit yourself.” He then started digging into his sandwich, and Harry cast a glance over to Liam. 

Liam was watching him closely, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Harry just ducked his head down, trying to hide his red face. 

***

“Alright class, welcome back!” their peppy teacher said, happily. She was a petite woman, with long brown hair and bright doe eyes. By her attitude, it was clear that she was the health teacher. “It’s the first day back! How exciting!”

The class didn’t share her enthusiasm, as they all bit back a collective groan. Harry was just slouched in his chair, bored out of his mind. Health had never been a class he had particularly looked forward to. This was because he wasn’t an innocent child or a girl who was obsessed with sex ed. He was only taking the class because it was required, as most people were. 

“So, since it’s the first day, I’ll try to go easy on you all!” Ms Smith said, happily. “We’ll be starting off the year with some fun little ice breakers! These are just so that we can all get to know each other a little bit better, and since I’m new, it will give me a chance to get to know you all!”

Harry couldn’t suppress his tiny groan. She was treating them like they were five year olds, not sixteen year olds. And of course Harry did not want to do real work, he still would rather do that than do ‘fun little’ ice breakers. And by one look at the deadpanning faces of his classmates, he knew that they felt the same way. 

“Alrighty, let’s start off with a fun one!” Ms Smith said, completely oblivious to the class. “We’ll all go around the room and say a few things about ourselves! How about your name, your favourite colour, a hobby you like, and one fun thing you did this summer!”

She paused, seeming to expect the class to react in some way. Obviously, they didn’t, so she quickly responded to herself.

“Great! I’ll go first!” the teacher exclaimed. “Well, my name is Ms Smith. I think my favourite colour is rainbow, because they’re just all so amazing in their own way. I really like to play with my two cats, Button and Sunshine. And one fun thing I did this summer was I went to visit my parents in Oklahoma!”

Harry nearly barfed in his mouth. Seriously, rainbow is her favourite colour? He could already tell that the rest of the year was going to be painful. Especially since he only knew a few people in his class- and he didn’t want to spend an hour with any of them.

The class went on, saying their four things. Ms Smith would always nod, and then say something at the very end. By the time they got to Harry, he was about to fall asleep from boredom. 

“My name’s Harry,” he said. “I like the colour blue, I write music and this summer I spent with my friends.” He said it as quickly as possible, since he really didn’t care. 

He had hoped that Ms Smith would just move onto the next person, but he realized that that wouldn’t be the case after her eyes lit up. “You write your own music?” she asked, excitedly. “Do you play instruments or sing?”

Harry groaned internally. “Uh, I sing,” he replied, feeling everyone turn their gazes at him. 

“Wonderful!” exclaimed the teacher, her face lighting up. “I sing too! Maybe sometime you could sing a song or two for the class?”

Harry just shrugged, knowing full well that he would never do that in a million years. He was also praying that Ms Smith would move onto someone else before she’d suggest something worse, like a duet for example. He shuddered at the thought. 

Thankfully, she didn’t ask him any more questions, and moved along to the other students. They all went around, saying similar things. By the time they were done the ice breaker, class was almost over (thankfully!)

“Alright everyone, good job! Before you leave, I’m going to give you your first assignment. I’m going to pair everyone off into groups of three by alphabetical order. You’re then going to spend some time outside of school with your partners and get to know them,” she explained. 

Harry stiffened at the mention of being assigned by alphabetical order. He knew for a fact that Louis was somewhere in the class, and he didn’t want to spend any time whatsoever with him outside of class. 

Ms Smith was already passing out papers. “I’m going to be giving you each a paper that I want you to fill out by the end of this week. On the paper are two sections- one for each partner. You’re going to be asking them a few of these questions, plus a few others that might come to mind later on,”

A girl- Harry didn’t remember her name- raised her hand. “Uh, excuse me, Ms?” she asked. “But what does this have to do with health? Shouldn’t we be learning about, like, sex and stuff?” Ah, she was the girl who was obsessed with health class. Figures. 

Ms Smith wasn’t fazed by her question, and just smiled encouragingly. “Good question, Molly!” she praised. “Now, we are starting this year with the healthy relationships section. We will be starting with learning about healthy relationships with the people at school and in your class, which brings us to this activity!”

“I don’t want to be in a relationship with any of these people!” another girl cried, looking around the class. She locked eyes with Louis, and then stopped. “Well- most of these people…”

Harry couldn’t restrain himself as he rolled his eyes. Honestly, Louis was so overrated, and he couldn’t stand how people would throw themselves at his feet just because he was good looking and captain of the team. It was absolutely ridiculous in his opinion. 

“A relationship doesn’t have to mean that you’re dating that person,” Ms Smith explained patiently. “You have all kinds of relationships in your life, and most of them won’t be romantic. We’re going to be working on forming healthy relationships as classmates, and hopefully all as friends as well! That’s what this project is all about!”

They were then put into groups. As he both expected and dreaded, Harry was put into a group with Louis Tomlinson and another girl. She was small, but had a fierce look in her eyes that were a little intimidating. She had platinum, shoulder length hair and blue eyes. 

“Hey there, team!” Louis said happily as he skipped over to them. He quickly pulled over a chair and plopped into it. Harry rolled his eyes in annoyance, while the other girl just narrowed her eyes at Louis.   
‘Well, good thing she doesn’t seem to like him any more than I do,’ Harry thought to himself. 

“I already know Curly over here,” Louis said, gesturing at Harry. “But I still don’t know your name, love. What is it?”

Harry scowled at the use of the pet name, but it looked like the girl did as well. She scoffed, ang glared at the footie player. 

“I’m not your ‘love,’” she said, mocking the way he said it. “And, not that it’s any of your business, but my name is Bebe Roberts. And before you ask or say anything else, I already hate you enough and might just punch you in the nose if you try and flirt with me ever again. Is that clear?”

Harry’s eyes had widened throughout her speech. He wasn’t sure if anyone, let alone any girls, had ever spoken to Louis that way. And by a look at the other boy, he looked just as taken aback. His jaw was parted open a little in surprise, and he had backed away in his chair. 

He turned back to the girl- Bebe- and saw her looking smug. Harry knew that he already liked her, and that he and Bebe were going to get along quite well during this project. 

“Well, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…” Harry said, casting a glance between the two of them. “I think that class is about to end, so maybe we should plan on meeting somewhere sometime after school or something.”

Louis nodded, tearing his fearful eyes away from Bebe. “Uh, yeah,” he said, swallowing thickly. “We should do that…”

“I can do any day after school,” Bebe said. “Plus, I think we should meet somewhere that’s not in a dorm building. I’d rather not go into the stinky boys’ building.”

“Alright, maybe we can meet at the Dream Bean or something,” Harry suggested. “How about tomorrow at lunch or after school?”

“I have footie practice at lunch,” Louis said, speaking up. “And after school.”

Bebe looked at him with raised eyebrows. “You have practice all day?” 

“Well, erm, not all day…” 

“Then we’ll meet tomorrow after you’re finished,” she said, standing up. “Now, class is over and I’m going to go before I have to spend anymore time with you.” 

With that, she marched out of the door, Harry and Louis both looking at her with wide eyes. 

After a few seconds, the bell rang. Harry quickly gathered his things from the table and stood up, ready to leave.

That was, until he heard someone calling his name. “Hey, um, Harry?” Louis said, causing the curly haired boy to turn around and look at him. 

“Yeah?” he asked. 

Louis looked sheepish, and was scratching the back of his neck. “Uhh, I’ll just- umm- I’ll see you tomorrow,” he finished lamely.

Harry nodded, confused. But he didn’t dwell on it as he left the classroom.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is really, really short! But I just wanted to add this quickly before I forgot, so here is it!

“Harry, I have a great idea!” Niall yelled as he barged into the dorm room later that day. 

Harry jumped in his skin from the outburst, turning around from his spot on the couch to look at his friend. 

“Uh oh,” he muttered, causing Niall to smack his arm. 

“Oh, shut up!” he said. “I’ll have you know that I have many great ideas! Remember that time I invented toast with cheese on it. Boom, great idea!”

“Niall, toast with cheese on it is just grilled cheese,” Harry sighed. 

His friend just waved it off. “Ok, ok, bad example,” he continued. “But this one is a great idea! Maybe even one of my best ideas, if I do say so myself. It’s just so mind blowing-ly amazing, that I can’t believe that I haven’t thought of it yet! It’s just-”

“Ok, ok, Niall,” Harry interrupted. “What’s the great idea?”

“Oh, Harold, I’m so glad you asked,” he smirked. “So, picture this. Alec keeps pushing you around and taking your lunch everyday-”

“Don’t need to picture it,” muttered Harry. 

“Hey, stop interrupting! I’m in the middle of sharing my great idea!” Niall snapped. “So, imagine that he steals your lunch tomorrow. He then goes to the footie table and is surrounded by all his teammates. He then opens it, and there’s instantly a bad smell. Then, BOOM! Moldy sandwich right on his plate!”

Harry blinked a few times. “Niall, what?” he stuttered. “How would that even work? For one, doesn’t he have footie practice tomorrow? And two, where are we going to get a moldy sandwich?”

Niall just smiled even more, an evil glint in his eyes. “Don’t you worry your curly little head, babe,” he chuckled. “I have it all taken care of. I suggested to Louis that he train the offense separately for tomorrow at lunch, which means that Alec won’t be there. And I have our moldy sandwich all taken care of.”

“Taken care of?” the other boy asked, his eyebrows raised in suspicion. 

“I’m so glad you asked,” the irish continued, his smile only growing wider and wider, more and more evil. “You know my lunchbox that I lost right before the end of school? It’s still in my old locker, I found it today. And guess what? I just so happened to have a sandwich that very same day.”

Harry paused for a moment, before smiling as well. “We’re really going to do this?” he asked, feeling excited and giddy at the same time. “Like, we’re really going to go through with this?”

“Of course we are!” he exclaimed. “It’s foolproof! If you embarrass him enough, he’ll stop leaving you alone! This could be the end of Alec bullying you!”

Harry nodded, before thinking some more. “It could…” he said, doubtfully. “But it could also just make him angry and he could try and attack me or something. It could make everything worse than it already is…”

“For one, anyone would be stupid to attack someone in the cafeteria in front of the whole school. Plus, even if he does, Liam, Ed and I will be there to protect you.” Niall countered. 

Harry nodded again. “But wait, you’re on offense,” he stated. “You have practise tomorrow.”

“What?” Niall asked, before his eyes grew wide. “Crap! I’ll miss the whole thing!”

Harry patted his friend on the arm. “Don’t worry, Liam will record it for you.”

“Yeah,” Niall said. “I just can’t wait until tomorrow!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry for it being so short, but I forgot to add it into the last chapter and I really wanted to get this part posted.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello fellow larries!! I just wanted to say that you are all so wonderful and your support is amazing!! I really am trying to get this story done as quickly as possible for you all, so bear with me :)

The next day, Harry was dreading what was going to be happening at lunch. He and Niall had spent the rest of the night conspiriting and planning out the whole thing. They thought of almost every loophole, but everything they came up with always ended up with Alec and a moldy sandwich. 

The idea had been genius last night when Harry had been safe in his dorm. When they were plotting everything and talking about it, there was no real risk. It wasn’t like anyone could hear them planning it out, and it had all been good fun. The only thought on their mind was how embarrassed Alec would be. 

But now that they were actually doing it, Harry was anxious. He had been sitting in math, the class right before lunch, shifting around in his seat restlessly. He was constantly checking the clock by the door, waiting for the bell to ring. 

He tried to focus on math class, but his mind kept going back to the moldy sandwich that was sitting in his old lunchbox. It probably stank like crazy, but was being confined by the fabric. When Alec opened it, the smell would probably erupt throughout the entire cafeteria. It would probably stink for the rest of the day, and the lunchbox would never be the same. 

But now, Harry wasn’t even thinking about how embarrassed Alec would be. He was just thinking about all the things that could go wrong. 

Like if the teacher's knew it was him, and he got in trouble for some reason. Or if the bully wasn’t even going to be there, and the plan would be ruined. Or if Alec tried to beat him up, which was definitely his main concern. 

Especially since Niall wasn’t going to be there. Sure, both Liam and Ed would be there with him, but neither of them were particularly big or strong. If it came down to it, they wouldn’t be a match for Alec and his cronies. 

Niall wouldn’t have been much of a physical match for them either, but at least he was loud and fiery. Harry wasn’t sure what he would do if Alec decided that he wanted to make Harry pay for embarrassing him. 

The more he thought about it, the more Harry was becoming more and more nervous by the second. He was practically vibrating in his seat, as the seconds on the clock slowly ticked on. He was itching to just jump out of his seat and run away. 

When the bell finally did ring, Harry already had everything gathered. He quickly walked out of the room, and he was out the door before most people had stood up from their seats. He walked as quickly as possible down the halls, before turning a corner that led to his locker. 

Trying to look as normal as possible, he slowed down his breathing. Deep breath in, deep breath out. The plan would be ruined if he was panicking and Alec became suspicious. He just needed to look nonchalant, and act completely normal. 

Alec was later than usual, as he was usually there before Harry had even opened his locker. But he still wasn’t there, and Harry was becoming nervous. If he wasn’t at school, then the entire plan would be ruined and all that him and Niall had done would have all been for nothing. 

He was just about to call Niall, when he felt a meaty hand shoved him by the shoulder. He looked up in surprise, seeing none other than Alec Henderson jeering down at him. 

“Why do you look so surprised?” he snapped, gripping Harry’s forearm tightly. It was tight enough to leave a faint bruise. “Stop being such a freak, and just give me your lunch.”

Wordlessly, Harry quickly pulled his lunchbox out of his bag and handed it to Alec. His heart nearly stopped beating when he realized that the sandwich smelt so bad that he could smell it through the lunchbox. 

“Berk! It smells like you, freak,” Alec scowled, gripping the other boy’s shirt and shoving him against the locker. “You better not be trying to poison me. Because if you were, I’d kill you!”

Harry nodded. “I-I’m not poisoning you,” he stammered, his feet barely grazing the floor. 

Alec seemed to think his words over in his head, before dropping Harry. He nearly face planted onto the ground, but caught his footing just in time. “Good,” Alec muttered, before stalking off with the lunchbox in his hands. 

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, before realizing that he’d have to run to the cafeteria by taking the shortcut if he wanted to see Alec open it. 

So, without another thought, he took off running down to the cafeteria. 

He jogged over to his table, seeing Ed and Liam both sitting there. Alec was still on his way over, so he wasn’t there yet. That gave Harry the perfect opportunity to rush over to his friends and tell them all about the plan. 

“Wait- seriously!?” Ed whisper-shouted, his eyes wide. “There’s really a moldy sandwich in his lunchbox?!” At Harry’s proud nod, he leaned back and whispered: “woah.”

Liam, though, just looked nervous. “Are you sure that this is a good idea?” he asked, glancing nervously around the cafeteria. “What if he’s really angry? Remember last time he was that mad, he really hurt you, H.”

Harry just looked down, the thought crossing his head. He still remembered having to go to the hospital to get stitches in his arm after an angry beating from Alec. 

“Yeah…” he mumbled. “But what’s he going to do? He’d be stupid to try anything in the cafeteria with the school and the teachers around.”

“Harry, the teachers aren’t around,” Ed said, looking around. “They’re having their weekly meeting today, and the only people watching us are the lunch ladies.”

Sure enough, there wasn’t a teacher in sight. Harry looked around desperately, but he could only see the three lunch ladies who were serving the school lunches to students that brought money for it. He gulped. 

“And he’s really angry today,” Liam added. “There’s talk of him failing math this year, and if he does, he’ll have to leave the footie team. Out of all days, there’s a good chance he’ll snap today.”

“You’re telling me all this now!?” Harry exclaimed, suddenly very nervous. He could feel his eyes dart around the room, locking on Alec as he marched into the cafeteria and took a seat on the footie table. 

“Harry, you should get out of here,” Liam said frantically. 

But it was too late. Alec was already opening the lunchbox, and there was nowhere to hide. Harry’s heart was beating against his ribcage as he watched the bully slowly unzip the bag. 

Instantly, a horrible smell erupted, filling the entire room. The guys at the footie table all yelled out in disgust, plugging their noses as they moved away. Alec yelled out in rage, the moldy sandwich falling onto the floor with a squelching sound. 

There were screamed of disgust coming from people around the table, but none of them were loud enough to drown out Alec. 

“I’M GONNA KILL HARRY STYLES!” he bellowed, jumping up from his seat. He spun around, locking eyes with Harry. 

“RUN, HARRY!” Ed screamed, grabbing Harry by the arm and forcing him to his feet. 

Harry didn’t need to be told twice, as he took off sprinting across the cafeteria. Alec gave another yell of rage, his eyes flashing angrily. He looked like a bull, as he charged for the smaller teen. 

Several students yelped as Harry shoved past them. He was sprinting as fast as he could, hearing the sound of several pairs of feet following him. Alec had gathered all of his cronies to chase him down, as the group of them sprinted down the school halls. 

Harry was running for his life, quite literally. There were shouts of anger coming from Alec and his friends as they chased him, and Harry just kept running. He was quick, he knew that, but Alec was on the footie team. He was much bigger than Harry, but he could also run fast if he needed to. 

Harry’s heart was beating faster than it ever had before, as he threw all of his body weight against the school doors. They flew open, and he scurried out of then and onto the school yard. But the group of guys were still hot on his tail as they followed right behind him. 

Without thinking about where he was going, Harry took off running towards the football field. He knew for a fact that Niall, the footie team and the coach were all there already, and he was just praying that he could get to them before Alec and his cronies ganged up on him. 

Harry wasn’t a cross country runner, and he really didn’t have much stamina. He knew for a fact that he couldn’t keep the pace he was going at for long, and he was already just about ready to collapse onto the field. But he kept his legs pumping as he ran forwards. 

Soon, he was on the football field, and he could faintly see everyone on the other end of it. Harry was out of breath and he could hardly get any air into his lungs, but he forced himself to yell. 

“NIALL!” He screamed, running as fast as he could. He didn’t know whether anyone could hear him over the yells coming from Alec and his friends, but either way they were making a scene. “NIALL!” 

The people seemed to pause whatever they were doing to turn around. He was getting closer to them, and was only 5 yards away from them. 

He could see the coach looking at them in confusion, and he could see Niall’s panicked face. He was about to yell again when he felt a body colliding with his own. 

Harry yelled out in pain as he went crashing to the ground, a much heavier body lying on top of his. He could hardly focus, but felt a fist slam into his cheekbone. 

“I’M GONNA KILL YOU!” Alec yelled, sitting on top of Harry as he delivered two more punches to his stomach. 

Harry was yelling out in pain as each blow struck him painfully. After three punches straight, his vision was starting to become blurry and his head was dizzy from hitting the ground so hard. 

That was until he felt another body crash into them, colliding with Alec. The two of them went rolling onto the grass with Harry still lying on the field, groaning in pain. 

He was gasping for breath, and clutching his abdomen protectively from any more blows. He rolled onto his side, and started gasping, his lungs screaming for air. 

He felt someone drop to their knees next to him, and he already knew it was Niall. The blond boy quickly wrapped his hands over Harry’s shoulders, keeping him upwards. His blue eyes were wide with panic, as he held him tight. 

“Harry? Harry? Can you hear me?” he asked frantically, eyes scanning over his friend. “Harry? What happened? Was it the plan? Did it backfire?”

“Give him space, Niall, he needs to breathe!” someone snapped. Another body knelt next to him, and Harry immediately recognized him as Zayn. His brown eyes were also concerned, but he looked much more calm than Niall had been. 

“Harry? Can you breathe for me? Do what I do, deep breath in and then a deep breath out,” Zayn said slowly and calmly. Harry nodded, struggling to get his first breath in. 

The first breath was hard, and it ended up in a coughing fit. The second breath was easier. Then by the third or fourth, he could actually breath properly. 

When Harry could actually breath and wasn’t on the verge of either collapsing or being beat up, he let himself take in his surroundings. He was on the opposite end of the football field, the school farther back than he had thought it was. 

Zayn and Niall were both crouched beside him, looking equally as worried. A few other guys from the team were gathered around, watching him with wide eyes. 

The others were all in the middle of wrestling Alec and another person, who seemed to be locked in combat. Coach was with them, trying to separate the two of them as he blew his shrill whistle over and over again. It was only when they had managed to separate the two guys that Harry could properly see who it was. 

Louis was being held back by several of his teammates, while the others tried to hold Alec back. Both of them had a fiery look on their faces, and their eyes were flashing dangerously. They both were breathing heavily, chests heaving angrily. 

Alec was definitely worse off than Louis was, with his eye slowly turning black and his lip busted open. 

“Enough!” Coach yelled, blowing his whistle again. He turned sharply to Louis and looked him straight in the eyes. “Enough, Tomlinson! Go take a seat on the bleachers and get control over yourself. I’ll take care of Henderson.”

Louis tore his loathing eyes away from Alec to look at Coach. They seemed to be communicating silently through their eyes, before Louis huffed and stood up. With a final snarl in Alec’s direction, he broke free from his teammates’ grip and marched away from the scene. 

Completely ignoring his teammates that tried to talk to him, Louis marched straight in Harry’s direction. He walked right up to him, before dropping to the ground as well so that he was crouching at Harry’s level. 

“Louis-” started Zayn, warningly. But Louis just cut him off.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking Harry straight in the eyes. His blue eyes were gentle and full of concern, different from how they usually looked while he was at school. They just looked more warm and genuine. They caught Harry off guard and his breath hitched in his throat.

“Y-yeah,” Harry stuttered, gazing back into Louis’ eyes. 

Louis nodded, before reaching up. He brushed his finger over Harry’s cheekbone, catching him completely off guard. 

He knew that he was probably just checking out the dark bruise that already started to form on his face, but Harry’s skin felt on fire as the other boy touched it. He could feel goosebumps on his skin as Louis’ calloused hands grazed over his cheek. 

The both seemed to snap out of a trance when someone awkwardly cleared their throat. Louis jumped in his skin, his hand shooting back to his side. “Great,” he said tightly. “You should be fine, it doesn’t look too bad. Not too painful, is it?”

“No- it’s, uh- it’s fine. I’m fine,” Harry stammered, letting his eyes drop down low. He felt Niall grab his arm, helping him to his feet. 

Louis got to his feet as well, and the two just stood. He looked to be looking anywhere but Harry’s eyes, but Harry was doing the same thing as he kept his gaze trained on the ground. “Great, yeah that’s good. You should put some ice on it, though.”

“I will,” Harry replied. “And, umm, thanks for- you know…” He gestured to Alec as if trying to prove his point of why he was thanking them. Louis followed his hand, and narrowed his eyes.

“No problem,” he said. “He’s going to be kicked off the team if I have anything to say about it. But you should- uh, tell someone if he’s bothering you or something.”

Harry didn’t reply, just keeping his eyes expertly on the ground. He did notice that Niall was sporting a nice pair of black cleats with a silver stripe on them. He’d have to tell him that he liked them later, if he didn’t die of embarrassment first. 

“Harry! Harry!” they heard two voices yelling. Everyone looked up to see Liam and Ed running across the field, yelling his name. They were both flushed and out of breath, but in much better shape than Harry had been. 

They ran the rest of the way, before Liam surged forward and grabbed Harry into a bone crushing hug. Harry let himself to limp in the hold, just letting his friend support his weight completely as he wrapped his arms around his smaller frame. 

“Oh my gosh, that went horrible!” he laughed nervously, and Harry could feel how tense he was through the hug. “Are you ok? Did he catch you?”

“He caught him,” Niall said grimly, wincing at the words. By the expression on his face, Harry could tell that he felt extremely guilty. “I’m really sorry, H. I really did think that it was a great idea and that it was going to work. I didn’t think he’d do this.”

Harry just shrugged. “S’fine,” he mumbled. “I mean, the plan sorta worked. He definitely got embarrassed and was definitely angry after.”

“What did he do?” Ed asked, walking forward. Harry pulled away from the hug, realizing that there was no point in hiding it. The boys were just going to figure it out anyway. He lifted his head and then pointed silently at the deep purple bruise on his face. 

Liam gasped at the sight, and grabbed Harry by the chin as he inspected it. “Oh Harry, that looks really bad! Are you sure that you didn’t fracture or break anything?” 

He poked and prodded the bruise lightly with his finger, but it was caring. His hands weren’t nearly as warm nor as gentle as Louis’ had been, and Harry immediately started missing them. 

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Harry said, pulling away from his concerned friend. “I just have to put some ice on it, and then I’ll be good.”

His friends nodded, though still looked concerned. The team had all walked away from them to give them some privacy, and were all talking in a group together. 

Zayn was with them, and had probably been the one to heard them away. Meanwhile, Alec was seated on the bleachers while the coach yelled at him. Louis was nowhere to be seen. 

“Well, lunch is almost over,” Ed said, glancing at the watch. “We could head back to the cafeteria? Or just walked around for a little while before class-”

“Or we could just skip class,” Liam interrupted. “If you’re not up for it, we could head back to your dorm and watch some movies or something. I could buy you some coffee and we’d get snacks and just relax for a while.”

“Hey, Liam?” Harry said, raising his eyebrows. “You’re mother hen-ing again. Relax, I’m fine and I can definitely still go to school. I have a bruise, not a fatal disease.”

“Are you sure?” Liam asked, looking him up and down in concern. Harry just rolled his eyes, causing Liam to sigh. “Alright, fine then.”

“Let’s head back then,” Ed said, glancing nervously over to where Alec was sitting, before herding the boys towards the school again.

“Yeah...” Harry murmured, glancing behind him. He couldn’t see the familiar blue eyed boy anywhere in the crowd. 

He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach as he brought his fingers up to touch his bruise. And all he could think about was Louis Tomlinson.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s so surreal to me that people are actually reading and enjoying my work, so thank you do everyone who left me kudos and comments. You guys are amazing!!

By the time school was finished, all Harry wanted to do was take a nap. He was exhausted, and practically dead on his feet. He was just about ready to slump over onto his bed, curl into himself and never get up ever again. That was how tired he was. 

He would have gone and done it too, but he had to get together with Bebe and Louis to work on their project. Their project that Harry was very much not looking forward to.

He would have to go meet them in half an hour, after Louis finished with footie, which was not enough time for Harry to take a proper nap. 

There were probably a million things he’d rather do than meet up with the two of them, sleeping obviously on the top of the list. But they had already planned out the time and place that they were going to meet at, and Harry wasn’t going to be the one to back out. 

Harry could be paranoid, clumsy, panicked, judgemental, whiney and other things, but he was not flakey. If he said that he was doing something, then he was going to do it. Sure, he’d whine and complain the entire time, but he’d still do it. 

So that was why, after thirty minutes of complaining to Liam over the phone, he was heading out the door. 

He walked out into the yard, feeling a breeze blow against his bare arms. He shivered a little. The summer was coming to an end, and fall was arriving quickly. Soon, he wouldn’t be able to walk out in just a t-shirt and pants and he’d have to wear a hoodie or something to keep warm.

Harry walked into the Dream Bean Cafe, where they had decided to meet up. He purposely showed up right on time, just to make sure. Usually he would show up early, especially if it had something to do with school. 

But where he would have to be working with Louis, he didn’t show up early just to make sure that Bebe would already be there. The last thing Harry needed was an awkward conversation with Louis Tomlinson. 

Bebe was seated at a table in the far corner. She looked up when Harry walked in, and waved warmly at him. He waved back, before nodding at the counter, signalling that he was going to get something before they started actually working. She nodded. 

“Hello dear,” the 20-year-old woman said from behind the counter, smiling at him. “What can I get for you today?”

Harry smiled back, glancing up at the menu that was written in colourful chalk on the wall. “Hello, can I please get a medium black iced coffee?” he asked politely, deciding on one.

“Of course, dear,” she said warmly, typing away at the machine at the counter. “I’ll go make it right now. That will be $8,50. Cash or credit?”

Harry opened his mouth to reply, when he heard someone talking behind him. 

“Actually,” they said, interrupting him. “I’ll pay for it.”

Harry spun around and glared when he saw Louis looking at him with a wide smile. “No, that’s not necessary,” he retorted. “I’ll pay for my own drink, thank you very much.”

But Louis already had his credit card out, and was reaching over for the machine. Before Harry could stop him, he had tapped it against the small machine, making a small sound as it processed. 

“Oh, don’t worry love, it’s on me.”

Harry didn’t break his glare. “What are you doing?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “Why are you being nice to me?”

“Oh, so now you think I’m nice?” Louis chirped, slipping his card back into his wallet. 

Harry flushed as he remembered their conversation only a day earlier. “You know what I mean,” he said, waving it off.   
“You’re trying to be nice, but that doesn’t mean that you are nice. There’s a big difference.”

“So buying you a coffee isn’t nice enough for you?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I didn’t ask you to buy me my coffee!”

“Sure, but a ‘thank you’ wouldn't be too painful, would it?” Louis said, touching Harry’s shoulder and leading them out of the line. Harry’s shoulder felt on fire from under the touch, but he wouldn’t let him see that. 

“Fine, thank you for buying me a coffee,” Harry grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “But you didn’t have too, and you shouldn’t. You can’t just go buying my coffees or people will start to think that-”

He cut himself off quickly, instantly blushing. He was about to say ‘Or else people will start to think that I like you,’ before he stopped himself. He didn’t dare glance up at Louis, since he already knew that he had heard. 

“Think that what?” he pressed. 

“Never mind,” Harry stammered. His coffee was finished, so he reached over to grab it off of the counter. “Bebe’s over there waiting, so we should probably head over.”

Louis nodded, turning around. He stopped in his tracks as he looked over at the petite girl. “Uh,” he stuttered, his eyes going wide. “What if we didn’t go over there? We just sort of, skipped this whole thing and did it without her or something.”

Harry turned to look at the athlete, raising his eyebrows. “Without her?” he repeated. “She’s in our group. We can’t do this without her.”

“Are you sure? I can do my project about you, and you can do yours about me?” Louis pressed.

Harry turned to look between Louis, who was looking more and more nervous by the second, and then at Bebe, who was glaring down at her paper. He did that a few more times, before realization struck him. He couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter that escaped his lips. 

Louis turned and looked at him, insulted. “Hey, why are you laughing?” 

“It’s just-!” Harry said, now fully laughing. He clutched his stomach, giggling even harder. “You’re- you’re scared of her!”

Louis, for his part, looked offended. “Scared?” he scoffed. “I’m not scared of anyone!”

“Yes you are, you so are!” Harry cackled. “You don’t want to go over there because you’re scared of her! The captain of the footie team is scared of a small girl who doesn’t like him! Oh my gosh, this is priceless!”

Louis growled, shoving Harry lightly in the shoulder. It wasn’t the way Alec would shove him, more like the way Liam or Niall would sometimes shove him playfully. “No I’m not, you twat! I just don’t like her very much! Oi, stop laughing!”

Harry stopped laughing, straightening up. He couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face, though, as he started walking towards the table where Bebe was. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go sit down and get this over with.”

The two of them went over and sat down at the table. Harry sat down next to Bebe, so that he was opposite from Louis. He sipped his coffee, smiling in relief as the cold liquid slid down his throat smoothly. 

“Alright, we if we start right now, we should be able to get out of here in half an hour,” Bebe said, looking up from her paper. “And if I’m here longer than half an hour, I am blaming you two for taking so long.”

“Alright then,” Harry said, happy now that he had his drink. “Let’s start on the questions then! Why don’t we look at the first question and then we can all go around and say our answers?”

“I agree to that,” Louis piped up. 

“Of course you do,” Bebe muttered quietly under her breath, earning a glare from Louis. “Ok, the first question is ‘What is your favourite childhood memory?’”

“Easy,” Louis said breezily, leaning back in his chair confidently. “When I first joined the football team when I was four.”

Bebe just looked at him with raised eyebrows. “That’s your favourite childhood memory?” she sniffed, pursing her lips. “Wow, sounds like you had a blast as a child,” she muttered. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Louis snapped, leaning forward. 

The girl just shrugged. “Oh, nothing,” she said. 

Louis looked like he was going to say something else, probably something angry, but Harry quickly beat him to it. 

“Mine is probably when I got a dog when I was seven,” he interrupted quickly. “My sister and I had always wanted one, and then one day, my mum came home with our dog.”

Bebe studied Harry for a long moment, before nodding and writing on her paper. “What did you name the dog?”

“Her name’s Lyla,” Harry answered easily. Just talking about his dog brought a smile to his lips. She would be turning eight this year, but was still a puppy at heart. Lyla would always jump all over Harry whenever he came home, licking his face to pieces. 

“My favourite childhood memory was when my dad left,” Bebe said, sounding completely nonchalant. Louis’ eyebrows shot to the top of his head, and she turned to glare at him. “Oh, stop looking so judgemental,” she snapped. 

But Louis didn’t stop. “Your favourite childhood memory was when your dad left?” he repeated, unbelieving. “How is that even possible?” 

As much as Harry didn’t want to admit it, he had to agree with Louis. His dad was never great, and he was just as horrible to Harry as he had been to his mom. But still, when his father left, Harry had been crushed. He had only been seven and couldn’t stand the thought that he hadn’t been enough to make his father stay. That had been the main reason for his mum getting them, Lyla, which he purposely left out. 

“It’s very possible,” snapped Bebe. “Just because your dad might have been amazing, doesn’t mean that everyone is. Him leaving had been a relief for everyone in my family, and had been the start of my actually liking my life.”

Louis snapped his mouth shut and didn’t say anymore. He didn’t look so much judgemental as he did just surprised. 

When Bebe looked down, he cast his eyes over to Harry, who probably looked equally as shocked. 

“So,” Harry coughed, breaking through the silent tension. “What’s the next question?”

“Next is what is the best physical quality that you look for in a person, and what makes it special?” she read aloud, and Harry cringed. Leave it to Ms Smith to give them a question that makes everything weird and awkward. 

“So, uh, who wants to go first?” Louis asked, looking just as awkward as Harry felt. He was thankful that he wasn’t the first to speak, but he definitely didn’t want to share either. 

“Sure, I will, whatever,” Bebe spoke, rolling her eyes. “I like when someone has a nice smile. I think that if a person can genuinely smile, and it’s warm and nice, then they must have something good about them. So I look for a smile.”

She then looked straight at Harry, which he took as a cue for him to go next. “Uh,” he stammered, looking down at his hands. “Probably eyes? I feel like you can sort of tell what kind of person someone is by their eyes.”

Next was Louis, and he looked much more nonchalant. “I like dimples,” he said simply. 

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat from that. He knew that Louis saying that he liked dimples didn’t mean that he liked Harry’s dimples. Just dimples in general. And honestly, who doesn’t like dimples? That’s right, everyone likes dimples. That doesn’t mean that they like everyone who has dimples- not at all.

But despite telling himself all of this, Harry couldn’t help but feel his heart start to race and his cheeks start to go pink.

Thankfully, no one noticed or had time to notice before Bebe was speaking again. “That’s it?” she questioned. “You have to say why you like them.”

Louis just shrugged again. “They’re cute.”  
Bebe just scoffed lightly under her breath. 

“Way to objectify someone just because they have an indentation in the flesh of their face.”

“What are you on about now?” Louis quipped. “Why does it have to be a big argument just because I find dimples cute? How is that a problem to you?”

“You’re literally saying someone is cute just because they may or may not have dimples. You’re taking something about their body and appearance that they can’t control and turning it into some beauty standard. That’s my problem with it,” she glared. 

Louis threw his hands up again. “You are completely unbelievable!” he exclaimed. “All I’m saying is that they’re cute! Not that you’re ugly if you don’t have them, just that they’re cute on people that do have them! Look,” he unexpectedly reached over, cupping Harry’s face in his hand. “Harry literally has dimples!”

“So?” she demanded. 

“So, they’re cute!” Louis blurted. “Come on, give us a smile, Harry!” 

Harry just looked at the blue eyed boy, and couldn’t help but beam at him, a small smile creeping onto his lips. “Look! See, they’re cute and you can’t deny it!” At this, he poked Harry in the cheek, his finger landing right in his cheek dimple. 

Bebe just watched them, an indifferent expression on her face. Finally, she just rolled her eyes. “Can we just move on to the work again and stop fangirling over Harry’s dimples?”

At that, Louis let his hand drop from Harry’s face and he sat back in his own seat. Harry was now blushing furiously, his cheeks burning a red colour. He hated the way Louis could affect him. He just cleared his throat and hoped they wouldn’t notice.

“Y-yeah,” he said, “what’s the next question?”

Bebe looked down at her paper. She read a question, before frowning. “What is your favourite thing about each of your partners? Why do you like that about them?”

Harry’s heart sped up as he looked quickly at Louis. The other teen had his bottom lip partially caught in between his two teeth, and was also frowning at the paper. He looked up, catching Harry’s gaze and forcing him to look away quickly, his cheeks heating up. He saw Louis looked away quickly as well, focusing instead on his fingers, which were tapping against the table.

“Well, I don’t like Louis,” Bebe said, completely oblivious to the tension around the table. “But I like Harry, so my favourite thing about him is probably that he’s actually nice. He doesn’t hurt people, and isn’t a womanizer. So yeah, I appreciate that.”

Harry forced a small smile at her. “Thanks, Bebe,” he said honestly. She gave him a small smile in return. 

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Louis protested. “You can’t just say something about Harry and not something about me! That’s not what the question is asking!”

Bebe just shrugged, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders. “What can I say? I just don’t like you, so there’s no point in this question.”

Louis was glaring at her, sitting up stiffly. “Why don’t you like me? What could I possibly have done to you that made you hate me this much without actually talking to me?”

Bebe glared right back at him, shrugging again. “You don’t have to do something specifically to me. You’ve done things to other people, and that’s why I don’t like you.”

“What have I done to other people!?” Louis demanded, throwing his hands up in the air angrily. “I haven’t done anything! And here you are talking to me like I’m a piece of trash!”

“You’re rude, you’re unbearable, you’re cocky, you’re impolite, you’re inconsiderate- I could make you a whole list if that would be more helpful!” she shouted back, sneering right back at him. 

Harry could feel the room starting to heat up as he glanced between the two of them. They were both glaring at each other with equally heated stares, and he was worried that one of them was going to snap and do something bad. People around the table had started to look over at them as well, they were causing a scene. 

Finally, Louis slammed his hands against the table and stood up. “I don’t have to put up with this!” he growled, gathering his things and stepping away from the table. “I don’t have to sit here and listen to you insult me without a reason!”

With that, he marched right out of the coffee shop. The door swung behind him, jinggling the tiny bell above it. Harry sat, watching his retreating form and biting his bottom lip. For some reason, he felt guilty, even though it hadn’t been him saying those things. 

He turned back to Bebe, who was just rolling her eyes in annoyance. 

“Whatever,” she muttered. “It’s not like I was wrong. I wasn’t lying about anything I said.”

“That was kind of unfair,” Harry said quietly, looking down at his coffee cup. 

The girl paused, before shrugging. “I was just telling the truth. He’s not a nice person and deserved to be put in his place.” She said it in a way that made Harry’s insides churn uncomfortably, but he didn’t exactly know why.

“You shouldn’t have said that,” he mumbled. “He didn’t deserve that. He didn’t do anything.”

Bebe scoffed lightly under her breath. “We don’t all get things we deserve, Harry,” she stated. “And he’s been handed things all his life. I was just putting him back in his place.”

“You weren’t putting him in his place,” Harry said, standing up as well. “You were just trying to provoke and embarrass him. You’ve been doing that this whole time, and I don’t really like it.”

Bebe looked at him, her eyes soft but unchanging. “Harry,” she stated. “You’re a nice guy, I meant what I said earlier. But Louis isn’t like that. He’s out to help no one but himself, and you shouldn’t go around hanging out with people like that. They’re toxic, and will only bring you down.”

Harry listened to her words, before slowly shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Bebe,” he said, standing up from the table. “I really am, but I think you’re wrong. I really like you, and I honestly do think we could’ve been friends. But I…”

“You like Louis better,” she nodded. 

Harry looked at her in surprise, before blinking a few times. “I should probably go,” he said quietly, ignoring her last comment. “I really do want to be friends, though.”

“Me too, and don’t worry, you haven’t seen the last of me,” she said with a wink. Harry smiled, relief flooding him as he turned to leave. But her voice caused him to freeze in his tracks. “But make sure you don’t like him too much.” 

He hurried out the cafe door, pretending that he didn’t hear her. 

Once he was out of the Dream Bean, Harry looked around the school yard frantically. His head whipped around, scanning the yard for a familiar mop of blond-brown hair. He couldn’t have gone far- he had only left the cafe a minute or two ago.   
Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the person he was looking for. 

Louis was walking further ahead than he had expected, walking along the edge of the giant school fountain. He had his bag slung over his shoulder, and he was tossing rocks into the water. Harry had to jog to catch up with him. 

Harry jogged up, stopping when he got to the other teen’s side. “Hey,” he breathed, popping up to stand next to him. 

“Hey,” Louis replied, not looking up from the fountain. He didn’t say anything else, just stared at the fountain as if it was mesmerizing to him. His eyes were darker than before, as they gazed at the water broodingly. 

After a few beats of silence, Harry hummed. “So, that didn’t go too well,” he stated, watching the water as well. “But it doesn’t matter. Not like we needed her or anything anyways.”

“You do need her, you said so yourself,” Louis replied, picking up another rock. He threw it into the water, causing it to splash. “You can go back. Finish the project with her at the cafe. I’ll just send you my answers to the questions later.”

Harry didn’t reply for a few long seconds. He took a deep breath, gathering his courage before speaking. “But what if I don’t want to go finish the project with her?” He asked. “What if I’d rather be here with you?”

“Harry, really. It’s fine,” the teen said, frowning at the fountain. “You can go back and get a good grade, I’ll send you my answers. Really, go back.”

“Do you not want me to be here?” Harry asked, peering at the boy with a confused expression. “Do you want to brood in peace? Because I can leave if you don’t want me here, but I’d much rather stay than go back to the cafe.”

“No, it’s not like that,” Louis said quickly, looking away from the water for the first time to look at Harry. “It’s not that I don’t want you here- because I do. But I also want you to get a good grade on this project.”

Harry nodded, leaning his back against the fountain walls. He took a long sip of his coffee, making sure that Louis saw it. 

“Screw good grades,” he said, watching as a couple of students walk past them, “they don’t matter that much.”

Louis looked at him in surprise for several long moments. He seemed to be studying Harry, searching him for a trace of dishonesty. 

But instead he just picked up another rock. “I know you have some sort of good person complexion,” he said. “So if you just feel like you have to be here just because some small girl hurt my fragile masculinity, you’re wrong. I’m fine and I don’t need you.”

Harry looked at him, his mouth parting a little from his words. “Ouch,” he murmured, pushing himself to be standing. “Fine then. I’ll leave if you don’t need me.”

He started to leave when a hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist. “No, Harry. That came out completely wrong,” Louis said, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to say it like that. Yes, I would like for you to stay here.”

“Oh, so now you need me to stay and heal your fragile masculinity?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Louis paused, and Harry wondered if he crossed some sort of line, before he laughed a little. “You are much too cheeky for your own good!” he said, poking the other boy in the cheek. 

“So I’ve been told,” Harry said, slowly settling back against the fountain. He stayed with his back against the fountain wall while Louis stood facing it. He was able to fully see the other boy’s face from that angle, and he could see that he was clearly upset. 

When neither of them said anything, Louis picked up another rock. He threw it into the fountain, causing it to splash loudly when it hit the surface of the water. “You know,” Harry said, watching him pick up another rock. “I’m pretty sure that’s against fountain rules.”

“Oh shut up before I throw you in,” Louis responded, but there was no heat behind his tone. It was what dared Harry to continue. 

“You wouldn’t dare,” he challenged, narrowing his eyes playfully. Louis just looked back at him with a smirk and a glint in his eyes. Harry’s eyes then went wide when he felt two firm hands grasp his hips and lift him up a little. He squealed in fear when he was suddenly much closer to the water than he had been before. 

“Are you so sure about that?” Louis declared, laughing a little. 

“Louis!” Harry yelped, scrambling to grab onto the strong arms. “You prat! Don’t you dare let me fall in! I swear!”

“Oh, you swear?” Louis repeated mockingly. “Why, Curly’s got quite the potty mouth, doesn’t he? Maybe the fountain can wash out that language, you dirty boy!”

Harry didn’t respond, he was just yelling at Louis while both laughing at the same time. “Let me up, Louis! You’re gonna drop me! Louis!” He yelled, screaming when Louis pretended to drop him again.

Louis was laughing as well. “I’m not going to drop you!” he replied, but he hoisted Harry back up nonetheless. He gently placed the boy back onto the ground again. “Besides, you’d probably just fall in anyway.”

Harry frowned, hitting his arm playfully. “I’m not that clumsy!” he exclaimed, pouting. 

“Hate to break it to you, love,” Louis laughed, poking him teasingly. “But you really are that clumsy! I’m surprised you haven’t managed to fall down yet today!” Harry listened to his words, looking down at the ground and blushing. Louis noticed and let out a delighted gasp, “You have fallen over today, haven’t you?”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Harry tried to sound annoyed, but he couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face. He just couldn’t stop smiling when he was around the blue eyed boy. Just something about him made Harry feel all giddy and tingly inside, and he wasn’t sure whether he liked it or not. 

“It’s not your fault that you’re so clumsy?” Louis asked, smirking down at the shorter boy. 

Harry buried his burning face into his hands. “Stop calling me that!” he moaned.   
“What, clumsy?” Louis asked, peering down to look at his face. Harry nodded, jutting out his bottom lip in a pout. “Why? You are. Besides, it’s kinda cute.”

“I’m kinda cute?” Harry piped, biting his lip. He didn’t know what made him ask that, and he instantly cringed at it. So much for trying to be subtle. 

Louis also looked taken aback, but he covered it with a couch. “Well,” he replied. “I guess it depends on who you ask.”

“And what if I were to ask you?” Harry’s heart was pounding loudly against his chest.

“I would say that you are a very cheeky flirt.”

Harry’s eyes widened from Louis’ quick response. He had thought that his comment would have been at least risque enough to make him stammer, but the other boy had just responded quickly and easily. Almost like he had already known what he was going to say… 

“Hey, I’m kinda hungry,” Harry stated, changing the subject suddenly. 

Louis just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “You’re hungry,” he repeated. “Why are you telling me this? Buying you a coffee wasn’t enough for you?”

“Actually, I didn’t ask you to buy me a coffee,” Harry corrected. “But now I’m hungry and I want ice cream. So will you come with me to get some?”

Louis blinked at him, furrowing his brows. “By coming with you to get some, you really mean buy you some, right?” he asked. 

Harry bit his lip, nodding. “Uh, yeah,” he said, smiling nervously. “You like ice cream, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Louis responded, standing up straight. “Who doesn’t like ice cream?”

“So you’ll come get some with me?” Harry asked excitedly, his stomach doing flip flops inside of his body. His knees felt like they were wobbly, and he felt his heart racing inside of his chest. 

After a moment, Louis nodded. “Sure, why not? But where would we get it?”

“I know a place,” Harry said, already giddy with excitement. He jumped up from his spot next to the fountain, nearly falling over in the process. He brushed it off, skipping along with Louis following him. 

They didn’t talk much on the way over, just the usual stuff. There was a lot of playful banter mixed in, constantly teasing each other. 

Harry had to remind himself several times that he was just going to get ice cream to cheer up the other teen- like he would do for anyone. It was just a nice thing to do for someone who was upset, and he was just being nice. Or, at least, that was what he kept telling himself.

He also had to keep reminding himself that Louis was the school flirt. He teased and poked fun at everyone at the school, even people he didn’t know. He flirted shamelessly with everyone, finding joy in making people giggle and blush. It didn’t mean he liked them- not by a long shot. 

That was just who he was, and Harry had   
a hard time remembering it. 

Louis really wasn’t nearly as bad as he originally thought. When he was around the footie team and in the halls at school, he was loud and rude and cocky. But when he was alone with Harry, or just hanging out with Niall or Zayn, he wasn’t like that. When he was away from the school crowds, he was nice and funny and friendly. 

And when he was like that, Harry had a very hard time not falling for him all over again. 

They walked down the street, just a few blocks away from the school. St Lilian was located in the lovely city of Manchester, in Spinningfields. It was a nice place to visit, but not such a nice place to live fulltime. It was busy and big, but there were certain charms to it. For example, the lovely ice cream shop they stopped at. 

“Here we are!” Harry said happily when they arrived in front of the small building. 

The walls were white and concrete, with wooden shutters on the side and a blue staircase leading inside. It was small but very clean and pretty. 

“Wow,” Louis said, impressed as he looked at the building. “How’d you manage to find this spot?”

“We’ve been living here for over a year, I’m more surprised that you hadn’t found it,” Harry replied, stepping up the stairs and motionning for Louis to follow him. “Now come on, I want ice cream!”

Louis smiled, taking one more look at the small shop, before following him inside. It was just as nice on the inside, with cute little tables along the wall with matching chairs. There were small plants hanging around the place and fancy light fixtures. Finally, there was a large counter where all the flavours were displayed. 

Harry rushed up to the counter, eyes brightening as he looked at all the different kinds. Louis just watched the curly teen with a fond smile. He was looking at the counter in wonder, smiling happily. 

“Louis?” Harry asked, looking at him. He looked like he had just said something. 

“Hmm, what?” 

“I said, what kind are you getting?” he repeated, snapping Louis from his thoughts. 

“Oh,” Louis said. “I don’t know, I haven’t checked them out yet.”

Harry nodded, stepping aside so that Louis could look at the flavours under the counter. But he didn’t step back far enough, and was still standing in front of some of the flavours. Louis took the opportunity to pretend to be interested in those particular flavours, and stepped closer to the other boy so that their bodies were nearly touching. 

He could feel Harry’s body stiffen, and he wondered if perhaps the other boy was uncomfortable. But if he was, he’d just take another step away. No, he wasn’t uncomfortable- he was getting flustered by Louis being so close. Louis smirked to himself at the thought. 

“You want that kind?” A voice from behind the counter asked, startling both of them. Louis jumped up, straightening to his feet. Harry did the same, taking the smallest step away. 

“Uh, sure?” Louis replied, not entirely sure what kind he had chosen. He had been too focused on the adorable boy next to him to pay attention to what the flavour had actually been. 

The person behind the counter, a tall woman with bright pink hair, nodded. “And what about you?” she asked, turning to Harry. 

“Can I get raspberry cheesecake?” chirped Harry. “On a cone, please?”

The lady nodded, and proceeded to get the two ice creams. She put them both on a cone, even though Louis hadn’t asked for one, and then passed it to them. “Great, that will be 4.50 each. Are they together or seperate?”

“Separate,” Harry said. 

“Together,” Louis said at the same time. Harry’s head snapped over to him in surprise, his eyes widening. “And I’ll pay with cash.”

Louis reached into his jean pocket to pull out money, but a hand reached out and latched onto his wrist, stopping him. Harry was just looking at him with wide eyes. 

“No, Louis. I was joking earlier.”

Louis just looked at him, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah? Well I wasn’t,” he said, pulling out a ten dollar bill. Before the other teen could stop him, he had passed the bill over to the lady behind the counter.   
The lady accepted it, tucking the money into the cash register. 

She then took the two cones and handed one to each of the teens. Harry accepted his, never taking his eyes off from Louis. 

They walked out in silence, before Harry finally spoke. “Stop buying me things,” he said, licking his cone. “I can buy my own stuff.”

“I know you can,” Louis replied with a shrug. “But I wanted to.”

“Why?” Harry asked, frowning a little. 

Louis didn’t reply, just took a lick of his ice cream. His eyes went wide in amazement. “Woah, this is so good!” he exclaimed, taking another, much larger, lick. “This is really, really good!”

Harry smiled proudly, nodding. “Yeah,” he replied, dropping the subject. “I told you it was great. Best in the city, in fact!”

“I believe it,” Louis answered, biting into his cone. “And this flavour is awesome.”

“Really? What kind is it?” Harry asked, looking at the cone. The ice cream was a dark red-ish colour with streaks of brown chocolate in it. It wasn’t a kind that he had ever seen before. 

Louis just shrugged. “I don’t really know,” he replied. “But it’s great. Here, try some.” 

He took the cone and shoved it in Harry’s face, causing him to yelp in surprise.   
Harry laughed, moving away from the cone. Louis pouted, “hey! I wasn’t joking!”

“I’m not going to try your ice cream, Louis!” Harry laughed, shaking his head a little bit as a blush creeped onto his cheeks. 

Louis pouted, but didn’t move his cone out of his face. “Why not?” he asked. “Try some! I know you want to!”

Harry just shook his head with a smile. 

Louis then smirked, ducking down suddenly towards Harry’s ice cream. But before the smaller teen could stop him, he had taken a giant lick at the cone, leaving a bit of ice cream left on his lip. 

“Hey!” Harry exclaimed, laughing again. 

“Now you have to take a lick of mine, and we’ll be even!” Louis said triumphantly, shoving his cone back into Harry’s face. 

This time, the teen blushed a little, before slowly sticking his tongue out and tentatively took a small lick of the ice cream. Louis tried his best to suppress the shiver that ran up his spine. 

“There, happy?” Harry asked. 

Louis smirked, before finding the place that Harry had just licked on his ice cream. He made a point of licking over top of it, before replying. “Very,” he said slyly. 

This time it was Harry who shivered, gulping loudly. He opened his mouth to say something else, when there was a high pitched shriek coming from behind them. The two of them swivelled around in surprise, looking for the source with wide eyes. 

“LOUIS!” a girl screamed, and the two of them winced. They looked over to see none other than Eleanor Calder running over to them, her posy close behind. She was wearing obnoxiously short shorts and a shirt that was so short and tight that it could have been a bra. Her hair was tied up in the perfect messy bun that looked like it took hours, and her face was caked with makeup. 

“Uh oh,” Louis muttered, taking a small step closer to Harry. He looked up at him with a confused expression, wondering what was going on. 

Eleanor was running up to them at full speed, getting closer and closer to them. She didn’t slow down at all once she reached them, flinging herself into Louis’ arms. He didn’t catch her, though, keeping his arms down by his sides stiffly. 

“Louis! Baby!” the girl squealed, placing her arms around Louis’ neck. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you all day!”

Harry looked down at his feet, his stomach dropping. Baby? Louis and Eleanor were dating now? Sure, everyone around school had speculated about them being a thing for as long as they had been at the school. He was captain of the footie team and she was the most popular girl in school. Of course people assumed that they would be together and would ship them. 

But they had never been official, and Louis had never made a point of trying to get with her. 

Of course Louis hadn’t actually been flirting with Harry. The curly haired boy had gotten so flustered and nervous for no reason, and now he was just standing in misery. After all, why would Louis ever actually like Harry. Louis was handsome, popular, athletic, confident- everything Harry wasn’t. There was no way that Louis would ever like Harry, and he now felt stupid for allowing himself to be led on by the handsome teen. 

“Why were you looking for me?” Louis asked, his tone unwavering. He sounded like he was frowning, but Harry couldn’t be sure since he definitely wasn’t brave enough to look up from the ground. 

Eleanor seemed unfazed as she flounced herself at him. “Because I missed you! I haven’t seen you all day, boo! Didn’t you miss me?” She sounded like she was in the middle of batting her eyelashes at him. 

“No,” Louis replied easily. “Now go away, Eleanor. I’m busy.”

“Busy?” she repeated, and Harry could tell that she was looking at him. “Doing what?”

“Just go away,” he said. 

Eleanor huffed, letting out an obnoxious sigh. “But Louis,” she whined. “Don’t you want to spend time with me instead? We can go to those stores you like at the mall and call it a date. Wouldn’t you rather do that with me?”

Harry bit his lip. This was really embarrassing, and he wanted nothing more than to start running towards his dorm and leave the two of them behind. But he stayed planted in the spot, avoiding eye contact. 

“No,” Louis frowned. “Actually, I’d rather stay here. Without you.”

“I should go,” Harry blurted out, looking up at them. Eleanor was no longer gripping onto Louis, and was now looking at him with narrowed, judging eyes. Her posy was watching the entire interation with wide eyes, but were now pretending not to pay attention. Louis was also looking at him, but with an expression that Harry couldn’t place. 

He shot Perrie, who was standing behind Eleanor, a tight lipped smile, before turning away. He got no more than three paces when Eleanor spoke up.

“You really should go,” she muttered. “Thank god, I thought he would never leave-”

“No,” Louis interrupted, his hand shooting out to wrap itself around Harry’s wrist. “You really shouldn’t.”

Harry looked at him, biting his lip. He then looked back to Eleanor, and then to her posy. He shot Louis a small, forced smile. “I really should,” he murmured quietly. “I don’t want to intrude on anything personal…”

“Well it’s too late for that,” Eleanor snapped rudely. “Just go. Loulou and I were just about to leave you here anyways.”

Louis’ eyes narrowed in her direction. “No, we aren’t going anywhere together,” he stated, icily. “I was actually going to leave anyway. Harry, are you ready to go?”

Harry opened his mouth in surprise, but quickly shut it. He let Louis wrap his free arm around Harry’s shoulders while the other one held onto his ice cream. He then let the strong teen lead him away, leaving Eleanor and her friends behind them. 

“Don’t look back,” Louis leaned down to murmur into his ear, causing his hot breath to wash over Harry. “Looking back would only encourage her.” 

Harry nodded mutely. He didn’t trust his voice to speak just yet, not until he could pull himself together enough to not squeak the whole time. His mind was buzzing, both confused by the entire interaction as well as completely flustered by Louis being so close to him. 

They walked a few more paces, until they were nearly back at the school yard, before Harry trusted himself to actually talk. “So,” he coughed. “Are you two…”

“Are we what?” Louis asked, furrowing his brows. 

“You know,” Harry said, gesturing around with his hands. “Together?”

Louis slowed to a stop, looking down at him. For a long moment he didn’t say anything, just stared at Harry as if studying him carefully. “You’re joking right?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Er,” Harry stammered. “No? I was just wondering…”

Louis looked at him for another second, before bursting out into laughter. He was laughing so hard that he doubled over, both arms clutching his stomach as he laughed. He was laughing so hard that he nearly had tears in his eyes. Harry felt his face burn.

“Oh!” Louis gasped, still giggling. “Oh, that is too good! That’s hilarious!”

“I just thought…” Harry mumbled, looking down at his feet in embarrassment. “You know, everyone says that you are… I was just wondering…”

Louis finally stopped laughing, standing up and smiling. He noticed that Harry was looking at the ground, and walked over to him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders again. “I’m not laughing at you, love,” he said, much more calmer than before. “You’re just so clueless sometimes.”

Harry frowned at that. Louis thought he was clueless? Did he also think he was stupid? “You’re not being very nice,” he muttered, trying to shrug his arm off. 

But Louis just held onto him. “What, you think I’m into Eleanor? I’d have to be very stupid to be into her!” He exclaimed. 

“Why? She’s pretty,” Harry said, frowning. He didn’t know why he was defending the other girl, especially since she had been very rude to him just a few moments ago. But it was true, almost everyone had a crush on Eleanor, and everyone else just knew that she was pretty. It was just a commonly known fact of the school. 

“Not nearly as pretty as you,” Louis murmured softly. 

Harry blushed, but decided to pretend not to hear him. “But she’s clearly into you,” he protested.

“A lot of people are into me, Harry,” Louis replied easily. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m into them. And certainly not people like Eleanor.”

“People like her?”

“You know… girls.”

“Girls?” Harry repeated, furrowing his brow. 

“Yes, Harry. I’m not into girls,” Louis said slowly. “Do I have to spell it out for you: I’m gay!”

Harry opened his mouth in surprise and was about to respond, when a sudden sharp pain to his stomach caught him off guard. 

He quickly wrapped his arm around it, moaning softly as he leaned over a little. He took a deep shaky breath, before moaning in pain again. 

Louis quickly took his arm away and jumped back, as if he had hurt Harry in some way. “What happened?” he asked in a panicked tone. “What’s going on? Are you ok? Are you hurt?”

Harry paused, grimacing from the pain. He waited until it died down enough to stand up again. He saw Louis looking at him with wide concerned eyes. “It’s fine,” he said, forcing a smile. “I just get stomach cramps when I eat ice cream.”

Louis looked at him in bewilderment. “You get cramps when you eat ice cream?”

Harry nodded, feeling the uncomfortable feeling subside. “Yeah,” he replied, taking another lick of his ice cream cone. “It’s fine though, I’m just lactose intolerant. No big deal.”

But Louis didn’t look relieved. In fact, he just looked more concerned. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed the ice cream right out Harry’s hand, earning him a: “Hey!”

“Why are you eating ice cream if it hurts you?” he demanded, frowning a little. “We wouldn’t have gotten ice cream if I knew you were allergic!”

Harry huffed, reaching to take his ice cream back, but Louis just lifted it up above his head. “I eat ice cream because I love ice cream! It’s so good. Now give it back, Louis!” He stood on his tiptoes and reached up, but he still couldn’t reach it. So he just jumped to reach it. 

“You’re a child!” Louis laughed, his eyes going wide. “You are literally a child!”

Harry pouted at him, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not a child,” he argued. “Now gimme back my ice cream!”

“No, you’re going to make yourself sick!” Louis protested, laughing when Harry tried to grab the ice cream out of his hands. He had to jump to try and reach it, but he still couldn’t quite get to it. 

He gave one extra big jump, before promptly losing his balance and falling right into Louis. 

The two of them crashed down to the ground from the momentum, knocking both ice creams from Louis’ hands. Then they both went crashing onto the grass, with Harry falling right on top of Louis’ chest. 

Harry opened his eyes, only to find himself looking straight into Louis’ deep blue ones. His breath hitched in his throat and he froze. He was pretty sure that his heart was about to beat right out of his chest, and he knew that Louis could feel it as well from where their bodies were pushed together. 

Louis was staring right back at him, breathing heavily. His eyes were half lidded and his mouth was parted open a little bit. His eyes flicked first from Harry’s wide emerald eyes, then down to his pink lips. 

Harry forgot how to breathe as he felt his own eyes flicker down to Louis’ lips. They were parted open from the surprise of the fall, full and pink and beautiful. He could practically see himself leaning down and smashing their lips together. 

Finally, Harry broke the eye contact, scrambling to his feet. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry about that!” he exclaimed, hiding his face in his hands. “You were right, I really am that clumsy! I’m so, so sorry, Louis! Are you alright? Did you get hurt? I’m so sorry!”

“Hey, it’s ok,” Louis replied, standing up as well. “I’m totally fine. Can’t say the same about the ice cream, though…” They looked over and saw both cones lying face down in the grass, completely ruined. “Well, I guess neither of us get any.”

Harry looked at the ice cream, before back up to Louis, biting his lip. “I’m really, really sorry,” he said again. 

“It’s alright,” Louis said, not a trace of anger or annoyance in his voice and instead sounded soft and sweet. “No harm done. But I have to say that you really are one of the clumsiest people I’ve ever met.”

Harry gave him a small smile, still feeling wobbly with embarrassment. “So I’ve been told,” he managed to say. “But I am sorry, are you sure I didn’t hurt you or anything?”

Louis rolled his eyes affectionately. “Stop apologizing, love,” he said. “Besides, you’re too light to cause any real harm.”

“Light?” Harry scoffed, frowning again. “Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Are not!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There won’t be any Louis in this chapter (sorry!) But I wanted to focus a little on Ed in this part. It’s shorter, but I hope you like it ;)

It was a cool breezy day as Harry walked out of Princess Park. It had been a few days since getting ice cream with Louis, and he was feeling on the top of the world. 

Sure, he hadn’t exactly talked much to the other teen since then, but he would sometimes catch his gaze at school and smile at him. It wasn’t much, but it always made Harry feel giddy. 

School was already four weeks in, but it still felt like it was going by slowly. Everything was back to normal routine, and there was always homework to be done. No more ‘fun’ icebreakers, everything was now real work. 

Which also meant that Harry was going to be getting back into his usual music writing sessions. 

He walked over to another dorm building, Pebble Stone building to be specific. It was the smallest of the dorm buildings, which meant that it was almost always empty. Only three quarters of the rooms were actually filled, and the entire seventh floor never had anyone in there. His friend Ed also happened to live there. 

Harry adjusted the guitar that was strapped to his shoulder with a sigh of relief when he changed the pressure to his other shoulder. He looked around, seeing only a few other people were enjoying the cooler England weather. There were only a couple of them, walking around the school yard or catching up with friends. Everyone else seemed to be inside their dorms or something. 

When he got to the dorm building, he headed straight for the seventh floor. It was the free floor that no one lived on and was hardly occupied. The only times it was being used was for secret sleepovers, hookups, and parties/get togethers. Or whenever Harry decided to use it. 

Harry got to the seventh floor and stepped off the elevator, lugging the guitar behind him. He walked down the deserted hallway, until he got to a specific room. It was room 426, and there were already sounds coming from it. Harry smiled to himself, before pushing the door open. 

Ed was sitting on the floor with his own guitar. He had pieces of paper scattered around him, and a pencil tucked expertly behind his ears. He looked up in surprise by the sound of the door. 

“Took you long enough!” he exclaimed, smiling at his friend. 

“Sorry, I lost track of time,” Harry apologized. 

Ed shrugged. “It’s fine, mate. Happens to the best of us,” he replied. “Now come on in, we have to get started sometime today!”

Harry nodded, stepping carefully over the pieces of paper on the ground. He tiptoes across the floor, before plopping down next to the redhead teen. “So, anything good yet?”

“Oh Harry, when are you going to learn that everything I write is good?” Ed said with a smirk. Harry rolled his eyes, knowing full well that it was true. If there was anyone who could write an amazing song in just one afternoon, it was Ed Sheeran. 

“Yeah, yeah. What have you got so far?” he asked, picking up a piece of paper and studying it. There were a few chords scribbled down on it, as well as writers notes. The paper would be impossible to understand if you weren’t a musician. 

Ed snatched the paper from out of his hands. “If you stop snooping around, I’ll play it for you,” he offered. 

Harry nodded eagerly. He loved music, and he loved hearing the things that his friend wrote. Ed just had a way of putting together the perfect songs and made them all seem unique and beautiful. 

“Is this the one you’ve been working on this summer?” he asked. 

Ed nodded. “Yup, this is it. I think that I’ve almost got it figured out, just need to fine tune it, and then I think it’ll be finished.”

Harry smiled happily. He knew how hard Ed had been working on this song, trying to make it as perfect as possible. “This is ‘Thinking Out Loud’, right?”

“Yeah, now hush and let me play it,” he scolded. Harry took that as his cue to shut up. The redhead picked his guitar up again, and started playing a few chords. Harry closed his eyes once he heard the music, the sound of the guitar filling his head. 

“When your legs don’t work like they used to before,  
And I can’t sweep you off of your feet,  
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love,  
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks…”

Harry lost himself in the music. The magical sound of Ed’s voice echoing seamlessly around his brain. The sound of the guitar was perfect, all the chords fit together so well. The strings were in tune and Ed’s voice was as smooth and raspy as always, giving off a beautiful sound. 

The song soon ended, and Harry opened his eyes. “That was amazing!” he exclaimed, smiling brightly at his friend. “It was perfect, Ed! I loved it!”

“You did?” Ed asked, brightening a little more. Even though he may say cheeky things or sometimes act confident, he really wasn’t. So even though he was actually AMAZING, he didn’t always think so for himself. 

Harry nodded vigorously. “I really did!” he exclaimed. 

“Thanks, H,” Ed said with a small smile. “Now stop making such a big fuss over me! What I want to know is if you’ve been writing anything recently?”

“Uh,” Harry said, looking down. “I mean, I have written some things… but they’re not nearly as good as your songs…”

“Stop it, Harry!” snapped Ed, shoving him lightly. “You’re just as good as a songwriter as me- maybe even better!”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Stop, we both know that you’re much better than me.”

“Nuh uh! Shut up!” Ed shook his head. “Stop putting yourself down, H! Now shut up and play me your new song!”

Harry smiled fondly, but pulled out his own guitar nonetheless. “Alright, this one is called Sweet Creature. And before you ask, no it’s not about some hot love interest.”

Ed pouted. “Who’s it about then if it’s not about a girl- or a guy, in your case?”  
“It’s about my sister, so don’t say anything- you know…”

“I won’t make any comments about your sister, H. Now play me the damn song!” Ed exclaimed. 

Harry nodded, picking up his guitar. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, before playing the first few chords. He felt the instrument vibrate from under his arms as the music filled up the entire room. He then started singing. 

“Sweet creature,  
Had another talk about where it’s going wrong,  
We’re still young,  
We don’t know where we’re going but we know where we belong,  
And ohhhh, we started two hearts in one home,  
It’s hard when we argue,  
We’re both stubborn, I know  
But oh, sweet creature, sweet creature,  
Wherever I go,  
You bring me home,  
Sweet creature, sweet creature,  
When I run out of road,  
You bring me home…”

Harry continued singing until he had finished the whole song. He strummed the final chord, taking a slow deep breath as his song finally came to an end. There was silence in the room once he had finished, the last of the music echoing off the walls. 

When Harry finally opened his eyes, he glanced at Ed, biting his lip. The redhead was looking right back at him, his mouth hanging open in a gape and his turquoise eyes wide. Harry noticed this, and immediately looked nervous. 

“Woah,” was all his friend said. “That was… that was beautiful.”

Harry blushed sheepishly. “Yeah?” he asked nervously. 

“Yeah,” replied Ed. “That was amazing. It was just… wow.”

Harry gave his friend a small smile. “Thanks, but it was just a draft. I don’t even know if I like it or not yet. It’s not nearly as good as some of the stuff other people around here write, and definitely not as good as the song you just played me.”

“Oh shut up and accept the compliment!” Ed shouted, interrupting him. “That was literally amazing, so stop comparing yourself to other people! And for the record, that was the best song I’ve heard anyone at this school write!”

Harry bit his lip, blushing a little from the compliment. “Yours too,” he said quietly. “Yours was amazing as well.”

Ed smiled at his friend. “Well, I guess we’re the most talented people here!” he teased, nudging the other boy in the shoulder. Harry smiled back at him, nodding.

“I guess we are!” he replied cheekily. “But really, is that a surprise to anyone?”

Ed shook his head, smiling at the boy. “Nope, I think everyone already knows that,” he replied. “So, does this time work for you on Thursdays?”

“Yep,” Harry said. “Looking forward to writing some hit singles in this room this year!”

Ed nodded enthusiastically. “You better believe we will!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry that there wasn’t more tension in this chapter. I just wanted to show more of Harry when he isn’t hopelessly embarrassed ;)   
> I will be updating tomorrow though, and I promise there will be more Larry moments!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who has been leaving kudos and comments!! I love you so much!

It was a few weeks after the moldy sandwich fiasco, and everything was starting to settle down. The school was a sucker for gossip, and the story of Alec and Harry had been the latest story that had gone around. 

The news spread like wildfire of what Harry had done, and that Alec had nearly eaten the moldy sandwich. Before the next day, everyone had heard everything.

Harry avoided the attention for the most part. It wasn’t much, just people would stare and whisper as he walked by, but that was usually it. Sometimes, a nerd or someone would rush up to him and ask him to do it to another student that was harassing them. It was always very awkward when that happened. 

All the drama seemed to have been whisked away, and things were starting to become normal again. Alec had stopped stealing Harry’s lunches everyday, but still bothered him on a regular basis. He had started sitting at his old lunch table with his cronies for a while after the incident, but had slowly migrated back to sitting at the footie table. 

They had finished their health project and passed it in, which was one of the last times that Harry had a real conversation with Louis. It was kind of weird to have gone from running into him everywhere, to suddenly never talking. 

Harry was a little hurt, but quickly brushed it off. After all, he didn’t even like Louis, (or at least that's what he kept telling himself.) He would see Louis in the halls, hanging out with the people on the footie team, but that was it.

The weather had also started to pick up, and it was clear that the warm summer days were long gone. 

Everyday was now cold and windy, and you couldn’t go outside without a hoodie or a coat, or else you’d freeze. Contrary to the popular opinion, Harry actually liked this change. He liked the cooler weather. 

Liam and Zayn had started to become fast friends, and would hang around with each other quite a bit. Sometimes, Zayn would even have lunch with them in the cafeteria and spill all the secrets from the footie team. 

Between him and Niall, Harry was always up to date on the footie drama. 

And there really was a lot of drama going down on the team. Apparently, there was a new drama every single week. 

One week it had been that Nick Griffin from the team had called Harry hot and talked quite inappropriately about him, causing Niall, Zayn and Louis to all have to physically restrain themselves from hurting him. 

Another week it had been that Lucas Jensen had started dating a girl named Penny Lovato, who had already been dating another teammate named Cody Linley. 

Then there was the time that one of the guys had head lice, but no one would own up to it, which caused paranoia for the entire week. 

And the latest drama had been that Alec had been mouthing Louis off during practise. 

All in all, the team could have their own TV series with all the drama they had. 

Speaking of footie, there was a game coming up in a few days, and the team was getting ready for it. It was going to be the first game of the season, and everyone at the school was talking about it. 

The season opener was always a big deal at the school, but the even bigger deal was the after party that always took place. 

“You have to come, Harry,” Zayn said, coming and sitting next to him that day in the cafeteria. He had been doing that a lot recently, especially since Alec was always at the footie table. “It’s going to be big, and we’re going to win.”

“We have to win, by the way Louis’ been training us,” Niall added, his mouth stuffed with the chicken salad he had been eating. 

Liam scrunched up his nose at the sight. “Niall, don’t talk with your mouth full,” he said, reprimanding. 

Niall rolled his eyes, but swallowed. “Yes, mum,” he muttered. “But for real, you guys have to be there. We need the whole school there for support. Plus, you guys will get to watch as we win the very first game!”

Harry smiled at the two of them. “Of course I’m going to be there,” he said. “I wouldn’t miss a game, especially the first of the season! But I am going to have to say no to coming to the party afterwards.”

Niall’s smile fell slightly. “But Harry, you never come to the parties!” He whined. “Please come, please, please, please!”

“I never come because I don’t like them,” Harry replied with a roll of his eyes. “And I already told you that my answer is no. I’m not coming tonight, and that’s final.”

Zayn poked him in the shoulder. “Aw, come on, Harry! It’s going to be fun!”

“I don’t do parties.”

Zayn huffed, but didn’t relent. “You don’t have to dance or get drunk with anyone. You don’t even have to drink at all, just have fun with us!”

“I don’t do parties.”

“Remember when I told you that you have to live a little?” Niall asked, “well this is what I was talking about. You’re too uptight, you should relax and have some fun without worrying.”

Harry pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. “I can relax and I have fun!” he denied. “I just don’t like to go to parties. They’re always hot and sweaty and dirty. Besides, everyone is always either drunk or hooking up!”

“We won’t be,” denied Liam, before looking around the tabe. “Well, I won’t be. Can’t say the same about Niall, but I’m not going to be having a single drink. Just some good old fashion fun with the lads.”

“Yeah,” Zayn said, piping up again. “All the guys from the footie team will be there. Louis will be there too,” he added in the last part with a twinkle in his eyes. 

“I don’t care,” Harry scowled, slouching down a little in his seat. “Why would I care if Louis’ there or not. He can stay home all night for all I care. I don’t care if he goes or not, it’s not like I’m gonna change my mind for him. I don’t even care.”

He felt Niall pat him on the arm. “Sure, Harry,” he said sarcastically, his mouth turned upwards into a smirk. “We believe you.”

Harry ripped his arm away with a glare. “Oh, shut up,” he huffed. “I hardly talk to him anymore and I don’t even like him- not even as a friend. Not that I’ve ever liked him as anything more!” He added that last part with a blush. 

“Whatever gets you to sleep at night,” Zayn said, taking a bite of his sandwich. “But I’ll have you know that Louis has been talking quite a bit about you-“

“Can we please just stop talking about him?” Harry interrupted, glancing around the room to see if anyone was looking at them. His eyes landed on Louis, who was eating his lunch at the footie table, but he looked bored out of his mind. Harry quickly looked away. 

Niall’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, you want us to stop talking about Louis?” he asked, specifically emphasising the name. “But what if we don’t want to stop talking about Louis? What if we just continued talking about Louis? Would it make you mad if I kept saying the name Louis? Because I can say the name Louis over and over again. I could just say Louis, Louis, Louis, Louis-”

“Fine, I’ll come to the party tonight!” Harry hissed, ducking down in his spot in case anyone was listening. “Just please stop talking about him!”

Zayn and Niall high-fived. “Yes!” They exclaimed, as they started talking animatedly about the party. Harry was already regretting agreeing to that. 

***

St Lilian was winning by a long shot. They were up by two whole points, which was great since the other team hadn’t gotten a goal the entire time. Most games were fairly low scoring, but that was usual. Being up by two points was great. 

St Lilian High was going wild. The students were on their feet, screaming excitedly as the game continued, Harry being one of those people screaming. He was sitting next to Liam, and they were both going crazy. They were yelling at the top of their lungs and jumping up and down on the stands. 

It was no wonder the team was winning by so much- they were amazing! Harry had only been to a few games last year, and even then he hadn’t paid too much attention. But now both Niall and Zayn were on the team, and he was now much more invested, and could clearly see how good the team was when they were playing. 

They were great when practicing, but they were absolutely amazing when they were actually playing the game. They were all synced up very well, and could pass the ball effortlessly between them without communicating. They all had amazing form, their fit bodies moving swiftly and gracefully as they ran across the field. They were fast and furious, leaving the other team in their dust. All those hours of training really was paying off. 

Harry was watching Niall and Zayn intensely, watching their every move. He was one hundred percent invested in them, and was cheering for them. But every once in a while, he would let his eyes drift over to Louis. 

Louis’ form was unlike everyone else's. The way he ran with the ball was just so effortless and balanced, in a way that just made it look so natural. He had a way with the ball that he could almost communicate with it, like he and the game were one. He was incredibly fit, and his uniform showcased it. His leg muscles would visibly move as he ran, and a thin coat of sweat was coating his lean body. It was breathtaking.

There were two minutes left in the game, and everyone was sitting on edge. Harry and Liam were screaming louder than ever, and their voices were incredibly hoarse. There were two minutes, and they were now playing defense against the other team. One of the guys from the other school was lining up to take a shot, when Lucas Jensen came out of nowhere. He stole the ball away, causing the crowd to go wild all over again.

One minute left in the game, and Lucas kicked the ball over to none other than Niall. Harry and Liam jumped up and down, screaming his name louder than ever before. They yelled hoarsely, gripping onto each other as their friend ran down the field. 

Several people from the other team tried to block him, but he was too quick. There were twenty seconds left, as Niall narrowly missed another defender. He was closing onto the net, and St Lilian was screaming his name over and over. Ten seconds left, nine seconds, eight seconds, seven seconds, six seconds, five seconds, four seconds, three seconds, two-

The ball went flying past the goalie, and straight into the net. A whistle blew, signalling the end of the game. Everyone went crazy. 

Harry and Liam screamed like teenage girls at a One Direction concert as their best friend scored the final goal. Harry quickly jumped from the stands and ran to the field, screaming at the top of his lungs.   
Niall was flushed and sweaty with a huge smile planted on his face. He spun around when he heard Harry’s yelling, and his smile grew even wider. 

“YOU DID IT!” he screamed, throwing himself into his friend’s arms. “NIALL, YOU DID IT! YOU WON THE GAME! YOU DID IT!”

Niall just laughed when Liam joined the hug, all of them crowding around him. Zayn was next to join the group hug, followed quickly by Louis and the rest of the team. 

They all were jumping and yelling excitedly. Louis was right behind Harry, his arms wrapped loosely around the smaller teen. Harry usually would have minded, but he was already too happy to let a simple group hug ruin his mood. After all, his best friend just scored the winning goal in the opening game. 

The team lifted Niall up above their heads, chanting his name over and over again. Niall was beaming from ear to ear, and his smile was so wide it was contagious.

Harry couldn’t help himself from grinning like an idiot. The team marched over the field, Niall above their heads, as they continued cheering excitedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... I wonder what’s going to happen... 
> 
> The party chapter is coming tomorrow, and believe me when I say that you won’t want to miss it ;)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, the not-so-anticipated party chapter!! Hope everyone is buckled in, cause this is bouta be a bumpy ride ;)

“Woah, it is as hot and sweaty as I thought it would be,” Harry breathed, looking around the room. 

The party was being held in some empty dorm in the Pebble Stone building. The dorm wasn’t small, but it wasn’t big either, and it was crammed with teenagers. There were people drinking themselves silly at the makeshift bar, people dancing and grinding on the dance floor, and people making out against the walls. 

“Well, yeah,” Zayn laughed happily, clapping Harry on the shoulder. “It’s a party! What did you expect?”

Harry grumbled, narrowly getting hit by several flying limbs. “This is what I expected. But this is also why I didn’t want to come here in the first place. It’s gross.”

Niall danced on over to them, shimmying against them. “Aw, come on, Harry! Loosen up a little bit and come dance with me!”

“I don’t want to dance,” Harry said, shaking his head vigorously. 

His friend pouted. “Well, if you’re not going to dance, you’re not going to drink, you’re not going to makeout with someone random… then what are you going to do this whole time?”

Harry didn’t reply. Mostly because he had no idea what he was going to do the entire time.

He never liked going to parties, and he certainly didn’t like doing any of those things. He would never in a million years find some random person to makeout with against the wall, and he wasn’t about to get himself wasted on alcohol. 

Niall sensed his unease, and grabbed him by the arm. “Come on, H! Dance with me!”

Before he could deny again, he was being grabbed and dragged towards the middle of the room. There were several people there as well, dancing with their friends and having a great time. Harry could hardly focus on anything thanks to all the movement, loud noises and flashing lights, so he hardly realized what was happening before he was on the dance floor. 

“Niall, I don’t want to dance,” he argued, pulling his arm out of his friend’s grip. 

“Just one dance, Harry. There’s no harm in having one dance with your best mate after he scored the winning shot during his first game,” Niall replied, already swaying his hips to the beat. 

Harry rolled his eyes. “Fine, then I can’t dance. You and I both know how hopelessly clumsy I can be on a good day, there’s no way I can dance here!”

Niall laughed out loud. “Harry, look at all those people!” He said, pointing at everyone who was dancing. They were sloppily swaying around to the music, and grinding helplessly against one another. “Do you think that they can dance?”

“...no”

“Alright then! Let’s do it!” Niall yelled happily, grabbing Harry by the hands and spinning them around. Harry decided just to roll with it and follow what Niall was doing. 

After all, it was just one dance and then he’d be able to go home.

Harry was just starting to get into it, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He paused while Niall continued twerking shamelessly next to him. 

“Yes?” he asked, turning around to look at the person behind him. 

“You look tense, have a drink, Princess,” the person said, and Harry could recognize him as one of the guys from the footie team. The guy shoved the drink into his hands, before disappearing into the crowd again. 

“What?” Harry wondered out loud, holding the drink in his hands. He looked down into the plastic cup, and saw a liquid sloshing around in it. 

“Who was that?” Niall asked, realizing that his friend had stopped dancing with him. He took one glance at the cup as well. “What’s that?”

Harry shrugged, his mind buzzing in confusion. “I don’t know who it was, but he gave me this drink,” he replied. 

“Drink it! I’m going to get one soon too, it’s HOT in here!” the irish exclaimed. 

Harry had to admit that he was thirsty, so he gave a final shrug, before taking a giant gulp of the drink in the cup. As soon as he did, he nearly spit it out again. The drink was cold, but it burned in his mouth and in his throat as he swallowed, leaving a bitter taste behind.

“Ugh! What is this stuff!?” he yelped, his face contorting in disgust. 

Niall laughed from next to him. “Harry, it’s beer!” he cackled. “What did you think it was going to be? Pumpkin juice!?”

Harry was still grimacing in disgust, and he thrust the drink into his friend’s hand. “I said that I’m not drinking tonight!” he cursed. “You finish it, I’m getting out of here!”

Niall just shook his head, pulling Harry back onto the dance floor before he could leave. 

He pushed the plastic cup back into his hands. “Come on, Harry! One drink isn’t going to do anything! We’re not going to let you get wasted and go home with someone or anything! Just have one drink to loosen up and have some fun for once!”

“For once!?” Harry yelled, frowning even more. “I have fun!”

Niall just gave him a skeptical look, before handing him the cup again. Then, with a glint in his eye, he said, “Prove it.”

Harry huffed angrily, taking the cup and downing it furiously. He was finished in four seconds flat, and felt like he was on fire. He nearly choked on the drink as he chugged it, and then felt like he was about to vomit right after he finished. 

He heard Niall cheer next to him, which caused Harry to smile proudly. “Yes, Harry!” he praised happily, grabbing his friend and dancing again. 

This time, Harry didn’t fight it. Instead, he let the loud music pump through his veins pump through him as he grinded right back against his friend. He laughed out loud, not caring anymore. 

Well, one drink soon became two drinks, and two drinks soon became three. By that point, Harry was throwing his head back as he took turns dancing with Niall, Liam and Zayn. 

He was laughing loudly, his mind and body both buzzing from the alcohol. He was completely drunk. His body was on fire in a way he had never experienced, and it felt strangely good.

Well, soon Liam was chatting it up with several other girls in the corner, all of them giggling into their hands. Zayn was off dancing with Perrie, the two of them tearing up the dance floor shamelessly. Niall was sitting at the bar, already getting drunk out of mind as he retold the story of scoring the final point over and over to anyone who would listen. 

Harry was left on the dance floor, feeling a little out of it. He couldn’t see straight because of all the chaos and he couldn’t think from having two big drinks. He was very tipsy, since he was very much a lightweight when it came to drinking. He didn’t know how much more of the party he’d be able to take before he was completely wasted. 

“Hey there, babe,” a voice purred into his ear, causing Harry to jump in surprise. He turned around to see a guy from his grade, standing behind him. “Wanna dance with me?”

Harry opened his mouth into a gape. “Uh, I don’t-” he started, stammering as his drunk mind struggled to think. “I can’t- I don’t do that…”

“Come on, babe,” the guy said, snaking an arm around Harry’s waist and pulling him flush against him. Harry could smell the alcohol on his breath, they were so close. “Just one dance, I promise to play nice with you.”

Harry was about to deny again, when there was another voice behind him. 

“Harry! There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” the voice exclaimed, coming right behind Harry and placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“You have?” Harry asked dumbly, furrowing his brow and turning around. 

“Of course I have!” Louis exclaimed, winking at Harry before turning to look at the guy that still had his arm around the smaller teen. “Now, I think I should be getting him back home now, if you don’t mind.”

“It’s just one dance, Tomlinson,” the other guy growled, his arm tightening its grip around Harry’s waist. Harry squeaked from the pressure, finding it harder to breathe. “He’s not your property and he can do whatever he wants, and he told me that he wants to dance.”

Louis’ hand also tightened its grip on Harry’s shoulder where it was still light enough not to hurt, but firm enough to keep him from moving anywhere. 

“I’ll have you know that Harry is drunk, and isn’t in any state to consent to anything. So, if you don’t mind, I’m taking him home.” Louis stated firmly, his tone icy.

“Who cares about consent?” The guy snarled, his arm trickling down Harry’s body suggestively. “He’s hammered and I want it.”

The guy’s hands then dropped a little lower, causing Harry to yelp. He instantly started squirming, trying to break free of the vice grip.

Louis’ gaze hardened, if that was even possible. “Let him go, Nick,” he warned, taking a step forward. “Let him go or else!”

The guy stood there for another second, breathing heavily as he glared down at Louis. Neither of them moved for a long moment, both seeming to size each other up as they both held their gazes. Then, finally, the guy let his arm drop from Harry. 

“Fine,” he muttered. “Next time, then.”

Harry let out a breath of relief he didn’t know he had been holding. Something about that guy made shivers erupt on Harry’s skin, and not in a good way. 

He didn’t know what he would’ve done if he had been forced to dance with that guy. 

He felt someone grab him by the wrist, leading the way through the crowd. Harry followed the hand dumbly, letting it pull him through the party. He stumbled a little behind the other person, but the hand kept him steady until they had gotten to the door of the dorm. 

When they were out of the party, Harry looked up in confusion to see Louis looking back at him with raised eyebrows. They stood there for a few minutes, both of them watching each other carefully. They could still hear the party going on in full swing from the party, the music muffled. 

Finally, Louis broke the silence. “I thought you didn’t go to parties?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Harry just shrugged, too out of it to think of a snappy comeback. “Niall, Zayn and Liam made me come tonight,” he answered honestly. “I still don’t do parties.”

Louis nodded. “Right, and what about alcohol? Do you still ‘not do’ that as well?”

“Yup,” Harry said, popping the ‘p’ as he nodded. He nodded a little too vigorously, and nearly fell flat on his face. “Whoopsies!” He laughed.

“And that explains why you’re completely drunk, right?”

“I’m not drunk, just- just a lil bit tipsy…” Harry said, but he could feel himself slur the words out as he spoke them. 

Louis nodded, but his lips were pursed in a way that made it clear that he could see straight through Harry’s lie. “You’re wasted, Harry,” he stated. 

“Just a lil bit,” the curly haired boy added, unhelpfully. 

Louis rolled his eyes. “Alright then, you’re ‘just a little bit wasted’. Now come on, let’s get you home.” He grabbed Harry’s arm again, walking them down to the elevator. 

They walked out of the dorm building together, before Harry stopped them. “You don’t have to walk me home,” he started, pulling his arm out of his hold. But the other teen quickly cut him off. 

“You’re in no state to walk home by yourself,” Louis said, leading them out of the building. “Now, why don’t you just calm down a little and let me bring you home before you trip over your feet and smash your head open.”

“I’m not gonna trip-” Harry started, but just at that moment, his feet seemed to come out from underneath him. He stumbled forward and nearly fell, but a strong arm quickly caught him before he could hit the ground. 

“Mhm,” Louis hummed, helping him up. “Now that we got that out of the way, why don’t you just admit that you need help and let me walk you home?”

Usually Harry would blush from embarrassment of nearly falling onto his face in front of Louis, but he was too out of it to even care that much. “Uh, if you’re sure?” he asked, nodding at the time. 

“‘Course I’m sure,” Louis replied, hooking his arm under Harry’s arm to keep him up. “Now, let’s get you home.”

“Oh- before I forget…” Harry said, stopping them again. He looked Louis in the eyes, and smiled, falling silent. 

Louis looked at him expectantly for a long moment, before asking. “What?”

“What?”

“You said you were going to tell me something before you forgot?”

“Oh, right,”

“Well, what was it?”

“Oh, I forgot!” Harry exclaimed sheepishly. “You bright blue eyes and they made me forget what I was gonna say! They’re so pretty and blue and sparkly and they make me feel all tingly on the inside!”

Louis stopped, mouth hanging open, before he burst out into loud laughter. He clutched his stomach with his free hand, and threw his head back. Harry thought he was laughing at him, and pouted. 

Louis just smiled, poking him in the cheek. “You’re funny when you’re drunk,” he said fondly. 

“I’m funny all the time,” Harry corrected. “Hey, I remembered what I was gonna say!”

“Hmm, what was that?” Louis asked, still smiling. 

Harry giggled, the alcohol causing his drunken mind to act much more goofy. Louis smiled at that, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he looked at the smaller teen. “I was just gonna say how pretty you are, Lou!” he yelled. 

“You think I’m pretty?” Louis asked, smirking a little. 

Subtly, he pulled out his phone with his free hand and pointed it at the teen. He then pressed record, knowing he was definitely going to want this video for later.

Harry nodded eagerly, nearly falling over from the force of it. “You’re the prettiest guy I ever met!” he exclaimed. “And I’m gay, so that’s really saying something! You have pretty eyes and a pretty face and pretty hair and a pretty smile and pretty hands!”

“Pretty hands?” Louis repeated, happy he was recording. This was definitely something he was going to save and keep for a long time. 

Again, Harry nodded. “They’re not smooth like mine, but they’re nice and big!” he said, grabbing Louis’ hand. Louis could feel his heart speed up from the contact, and he had to bite his lip to keep himself touching the adorable boy. “Plus, they feel nice!”

“Right, because how many times have you been feeling my hands?” Louis asked, bemused by the whole thing. 

He really needed to get Harry drunk more often if he was going to be like this. He could really get used to drunk Harry. 

“Just once,” Harry said. “When I got punched in the face, remember? You did it like this!”

He then pulled Louis' hand up and placed the palm of it against his cheek. He then hummed in contentment. Louis couldn’t resist as he slowly caressed his thumb over Harry’s smooth, milky skin. After all, no one but him was going to see this video, and Harry wasn’t going to remember anything in the morning, so why not?

“Harry, you’re going to fall,” Louis stated when the teen started getting wobbly on his feet again. He had to take his hand off of Harry’s cheek to wrap it around his slim waist to keep the boy balanced and upright.

“I fall all the time! Even when I’m not drunk!” Harry chorused, giggling a little. “And I like it when you touch me. I don’t like it when that other guy touches me.”

Louis’ smile dropped from his face and turned into a scowl as he pressed stop on his phone. “That was Nick Griffin,” he growled angrily. “He’s on the footie team, but I wouldn’t let him dance with anyone, especially not when he’s drunk.”

“Why?” asked Harry completely oblivious, as he cocked his head to the side. 

Louis seemed to snap out of his angry trance, and look at Harry with a small smile. “Let’s just focus on getting you home. Then, if you remember any of this, I’ll answer all of your other questions.”

“But I have another question!” Harry exclaimed. 

Louis chuckled, steering them into the Princess Park building. “Yeah?” 

“Why do you keep avoiding me?” Harry asked, his eyes growing wide. “Do you not like me?”

“W-what?” Louis stammered, taken aback from the question. “Of course I like you. After all, you do claim to be a very nice person.”

Harry wasn’t satisfied with his answer. “But why do you never come talk to me anymore? Why are you always avoiding me?”

They got onto the elevator in silence. Louis didn’t say anything for a long moment, and Harry just stood waiting for his answer. “I thought you were the one who didn’t like me,” he replied quietly after a moment. “I was just giving you some space…”

Harry blinked in surprise. “What?” he asked, blinking dumbly. “I like you, kind of. I think you’re a little too full of yourself, but I still like you.”

Louis though, didn’t seem so sure. “You say that now, when I was the one who got you away from Nick and walked you back to your dorm,” he replied, walking them down the hall once the elevator doors opened. “But we’ll see if you still like me in the morning when you’re not drunk out of your mind.”

“I like you, I promise!” Harry exclaimed, clinging onto the other boy. “You’re very nice to me and make me feel all tingly inside! You buy me coffee and you walk me home and all kinds of stuff!”

Louis looked surprised. “You think I’m a nice person?”

“I said that you’re nice to me,” Harry pointed out. “I didn’t say that you’re nice to everyone. Just me, like I’m special or something!”

“You are special, Harry,” Louis whispered quietly, so that Harry hadn’t even heard him. Instead, he just continued babbling. 

“I would like you a lot more if you were nice to everybody! Because you’re so nice to me, but you’re aren’t so nice to everyone else. And I think that if you were just nicer to everyone else then we could be friends, and then people would like you even more!” He spilled. 

“I don’t need everyone to like me,” Louis answered. “Just you. I just need you to like me.”

“Well then you’re all set, because I REALLY like you, Louis Tomlinson! I really, really, really like you a whole lot!” Harry babbled, waving himself around. 

Louis just frowned. “Like I said, you wouldn’t be saying this if you were sober. Sober Harry doesn’t like me nearly as much as drunk Harry does.”

“Ok, then,” Harry said. “Ask me tomorrow. Ask me if I like you, and I’ll say the same thing. Pinky promise!”

Louis didn’t respond. “Where’s your key?” he asked Harry. 

After Harry managed to find his key inside of his jean pocket, Louis unlocked the door to his dorm. He then led the drunk teen across the room, before arriving in Harry’s bedroom. He quickly helped the teen into his bed, jeans and everything. 

Louis turned to leave the bedroom, when Harry noticed. “Hey!” he called with a frown. “Where are you going?”

Louis turned around, furrowing his brow in confusion. “I’m going back to my own dorm,” he said simply. Harry quickly shook his head, holding his arms out and making grabby hands with his fists. 

When the teen didn’t understand, he elaborated. “Stay here with me!” Harry whined. 

It looked like Louis was blushing, but it was hard to tell in the light of the room. “No, Harry. I can’t come lay in bed with you,” he said. 

“Why not?” Harry whined. “Please, just for a little while?”

Louis bit his lip, but then shook his head. “No, Harry,” he said again. “You wouldn’t be saying this if you were sober, so I’m not going to do it while you’re drunk.”

Harry pouted. “But, Louis!” he complained, but the other teen shook his head again. 

“I’ll see you soon, Harry,” he replied, and then he closed the bedroom door, leaving Harry in complete darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill.
> 
> Kudos and comments help me post quicker, so please feel free to leave your thought :)

Harry groaned, instantly bringing a hand up to his throbbing head. He opened his eyes into slits, just enough to take in his surroundings. 

He was in his bedroom, with the drapes drawn over the windows to keep the room dimly lit. The sun was just peeking in through the crack between the curtains, causing him to moan from the light. 

He reached over for his phone, wincing when the light screen illuminated. Everything just seemed to be too bright, and he wanted nothing more than to just roll over into his blankets again. But by the time on his phone, it was nearly lunch time already, and he had to get up. 

‘Why do I feel this way?’ He wondered to himself, trying to think back to what could have happened the night before that would have caused this. 

Oh, that’s right. 

The first football game of the season, Niall scoring the last goal, going to the party, dancing with Niall, someone offering him a drink, him having a second drink, dancing with Liam and Zayn, having a third drink. His mind blanked out after the third drink, so he knew that it must have been bad. 

Harry rolled over, thankful that he was at least in his bedroom. Niall must have brought him back to the dorm after the party. 

But wait, Niall had been completely wasted even before Harry had been. Did they walk to Princess Park at night by themselves?

Harry was about to get up, when he saw a glass of water on his bedside table. 

Confused, he propped himself up on his elbows to look at it. Next to the water was a small pill- an advil. And next to the pill and the drink was a small, white note. 

First, he grabbed the water and pill. He quickly took them, sighing when the relief started to take some of the pain from his throbbing headache. Then, he reached for the note and looked at it. 

The note read:  
‘Hope the hangover isn’t too bad. Left you some water and an advil- you’re going to need it after last night. Still here to answer your questions if you remember anything from last night. -L’

L? Had Liam brought him and Niall back from the party? It would make sense, since Liam had said before that he wasn’t going to drink anything at the party, and had therefore been sober enough to bring them home. 

But what did ‘still here to answer your questions if you still remember anything from last night’ mean? 

Nothing made sense to Harry anymore, so he decided to pocket the note and ask his friends about it later. They were supposed to meet at the Dream Bean later that day, and Harry still hoped that that was going on. But if his friends were as bad as he was, then there was a good chance that they’d want to stay in bed all day. 

Harry stood up, realizing that he was still in his jeans from yesterday. He quickly changed out of them, opting to wear a looser, more comfortable pair that were rolled up at the end to expose his ankles. He then slipped on a grey hoodie.

After making sure that everyone was still meeting up at Dream Bean, Harry decided to head out. There was only a few minutes until they were supposed to be there, so he was running late after sleeping in. Niall hadn’t been at the dorm, but he had already texted Harry to tell him that they were still meeting up. 

He walked along the school yard, breathing in the crisp autumn air. It was already mid October, one of Harry’s favourite months. He liked the way the leaves changed colours and the cool breeze that came with it. Halloween was also pretty great, and it was coming up soon. 

Thanks to the advil that had been on his bedside table, Harry was already feeling much better. He was hungry and craving coffee, but that was nothing that the Dream Bean couldn’t fix. He figured that he’d be completely fine after eating something with his friends. 

Harry pushed open the door and warmth immediately flooded his senses. There was the smell of freshly baked goods that made his stomach rumble, and he smiled at the thought. Liam, Zayn and Niall were already sitting around the table when he showed up.

“Hey guys!” Harry said happily as he sat down at the table. 

“Try not to sound so cheerful,” Niall muttered, massaging his temples. 

The others ignored him. “Hey Harry,” Liam said with a smile. 

Harry was sitting next to Niall, and shot him a look. “What’s up with him?” he asked. 

Liam and Zayn exchanged a knowing look. “He got absolutely wasted last night,” Liam explained. “A complete mess- black out drunk. So now he was the worst hangover he’s ever had, which is really saying something.”

Niall groaned from the story, burying his head into his folded arms. Harry grimaced in sympathy, patting his blond friend on the shoulder lightly. 

“You don’t look too bad after last night,” Zayn remarked, looking at him once over. Harry just shrugged. 

“There was water and advil on my bedside table when I got up,” he replied, before turning to look at Liam. “Thanks for that, Li.”

Liam just looked at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “I didn’t leave you anything on your table. I haven’t seen you since the party.”

It was Harry’s turn to look confused. “What?” he asked, furrowing his brow. He reached his hand into his pocket, before fishing out the note that he had brought with him. “You left me this note, didn’t you?”

Liam took the note from his hand, and examined it closely. “I didn’t leave you this,” he replied, handing it to Niall to look at. “That’s not even my handwriting.”

“But you signed it,” Harry insitied, pointing at the note. “Look, there’s an L on it.”

Niall frowned at the letter. “Liam didn’t even come to our dorm, though,” he said. “After you left the party, we all went to crash at his and Zayn’s dorm. None of us came by last night.”

“But that’s impossible,” Harry stated, as Niall passed the note to Zayn. “Who else could’ve left me this note?”

“Could have been Louis,” Zayn said, looking at the letter. At the suggestion, Niall choked on the water he had been drinking and Liam had to thump him on the back. Harry just shook his head.

“There’s no way,” Harry said, shaking his head. 

Zayn just shrugged, giving him the note back. “It looks like his handwriting, plus his name does start with an L.”

“He did leave the party early,” added Liam, unhelpfully.

Harry looked at the note again, reading the note over. Eventually, he felt the blood start to drain from his face. “But,” he stammered, his brain thinking a million miles a minute. “But- there’s no way that that’s true. He doesn’t even know where we live!”

Zayn shrugged again. “It might not be him,” he said, oblivious to Harry’s distress. “It very well could have been someone else. But if you really want to know, just ask him. I’m sure he’d tell you if he wrote the note or not.”

“But how would he know where we live?” Harry asked. 

“Well, if he wrote that note, he would have also walked you home last night,” Zayn replied. “He would have figured out where you lived pretty quickly.”

Harry’s mouth fell open at the thought of Louis walking him home. “He did not walk me home after the party- I would have remembered that!” he exclaimed. 

Liam pursed his lips. “I don’t know, Harry,” he said, slowly. “You were pretty drunk. I don’t think you could have remembered anything from last night after your second drink.”

“Ha!” Niall laughed suddenly. “Harry’s a light weight!”

Harry just shoved his friend, huffing. They started talking about other things after that, the party, the game, school. They even all got up and ordered coffees and snacks. 

It was great, but Harry could stop thinking about the party last night. He kept racking his brain to remember anything from the night before, any small memory that would tell him what happened. 

But he couldn’t think of anything to do with the note, and he couldn’t remember anything to do with Louis. 

By the time they had finished their meeting, Harry was just even more confused than when it had started. It was great to see his friends and just hang out for a while outside of class, but he couldn’t shake the thought of the note. 

He also couldn’t bring himself to throw it out, so he just folded it up and kept it in his pocket. 

He and Niall were going back to the dorm, since Niall was in desperate need of a nap. Even after chugging his steaming hot coffee, he was still bone tired. So the two were heading back to relax and spend the rest of the day at home. 

They were about to walk into Princess Park, when he noticed a figure sitting on the bench surrounded by several trees. It was Louis, sitting with his feet propped up along the bench as he scrolled through his phone.

“Hey, you head up without me, okay?” Harry said, turning to his friend. 

Niall looked up, furrowing his brow. “Why? He demanded. “Where are you going?”

Harry frowned at his friend’s nosiness. “I just have to go talk to someone, but I’ll be up in a second.” He said quickly, not wanting to explain exactly what he was doing to his friend. 

Niall nodded after a moment, probably too tired to argue. “Alright, just don’t take too long, I need my snuggle buddy.” 

Harry nodded, gratefully. “Yeah, I’ll be up soon,” he replied. 

He waited until Niall went into the building, before he turned around to face the section of trees where the other boy sat. Taking a deep breath, Harry started walking forward. 

He got to the bench, and Louis still hadn’t looked up from his phone. He didn’t seem to notice that Harry was right there, as he was too consumed by whatever was on the phone. 

His brow was furrowed in concentration, and it looked important. Harry was about to chicken out, and just go snuggle with Niall inside, when Louis looked up. 

“Oh- Harry!” he exclaimed in surprise, turning his phone off and straightening up. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. Umm… hi.”

“Hey,” Harry replied awkwardly, shuffling his feet as he spoke. “Sorry if I’m interrupting or something, you can go back to your thing if you want. It looked important.”

“Oh this?” Louis asked, holding up his phone. “No, it’s just the schedule for the games we have coming up for the season. Not, uh, important or anything…”

Neither spoke for a few moments of awkwardness. “Uh, do you want to sit down?” Louis offered, taking his legs off of the long end of the bench to make room for Harry. 

“No, I can’t right now. I have to get back to Niall soon,” he mentally smacked himself for the lame excuse. Well, it wasn’t really an excuse, it was true. But it still made him seem lame, and it certainly sounded like an excuse. 

“Oh, ok,” Louis replied, looking down at his hands. He looked kind of disappointed, and it pulled at Harry’s heartstrings for some reason.

Then he did something that he knew he would soon come to regret. “Actually,” he said, speaking up. He moved to sit on the bench, right next to the football captain. “I would like to sit. Unless, you know, you have something more important to do, or if you’re just saying it to be polite or something, cause I don’t have to-”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it, Curly,” Louis smiled, interrupting. 

Harry realized that he had been babbling, and blushed a litte. He was also a little taken aback by the sweet tone of his voice and the nickname. “Oh, sorry,” Harry mumbled quickly, before taking a seat on the bench. 

“So,” Louis started. “Wanna tell me what’s on your mind? Not that I mind your company or anything, but was there a reason you wanted to come over here?”

“Uh, yeah,” Harry said, feeling stupider and stupider by the minute. “But it’s nothing important- it’s stupid, actually…”

This only seemed to peak Louis’ interest more, and he leaned forward a little. 

“Shoot,” he said. “And don’t worry, I hear so many stupid things every day- this probably won’t even be the stupidest I’ve heard this morning.”

Feeling a little bit reassured by this, Harry continued. “Well, it’s just that- umm, I don’t remember anything from the part last night…”

“You don’t remember anything?” Louis interrupted. 

Harry shook his head. “Not really. I remember showing up and dancing with Niall. I think I might have had three drinks, but I only remember the first two-”

“Ah, so you’re a lightweight,” he commented. “Why am I not surprised.”

Harry smacked him against the arm before he could stop himself. “Hey!” he pouted. “I’m trying to tell you something, and you keep interrupting me!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Louis chuckled, raising his hands up in surrender. “Please, continue.”

“Ok, so as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted-” Louis let out a small laugh, which made Harry smile, “- I don’t remember going home last night, but was in my bed when I woke up this morning.”

Louis paused, pursing his lips. “So you’re asking me if I know what happened to you after the party?” he clarified, raising his eyebrows questioningly. 

“I told you it was stupid,” Harry said, pulling the small paper out of his pocket. “But when I woke up, there was this note next to my bed and it was signed with an ‘L’. At first I thought it was Liam, but he said that it wasn’t him, and then Zayn said that it might’ve been you…”

“You think it was me who brought you home last night?” Louis asked. 

Harry could feel himself start to turn a light shade of pink. “It’s stupid, I know,” he interrupted, moving to stand up from the bench. “I can just leave now-”

“Actually, I was going to say that Zayn would have been right,” Louis finished, glancing at the note. 

Harry felt himself do a double take in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting for him to say that at all. He had expected Louis to laugh at him, say how he would never take him home, call him stupid for suggesting it. He hadn’t expected him to confess. 

“Wait- what? Really?” Harry asked, his eyes wide in surprise. 

Louis nodded, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. If Harry didn’t know him better, he would have guessed that Louis was nervous. “Well, yeah,” he replied. “You were totally wasted and were in no state to walk yourself home. So I decided to take you.”

Harry nodded, still unsure what to say. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Louis had been the one to take him home that night. “Thanks,” he said after a long moment of silence. “I mean, I must have been pretty out of it.”

“You definitely were,” agreed Louis, laughing a little. “You could hardly stand on your own two feet for longer than a second before falling over! I practically had to hold you up the entire way.”

Harry groaned, burying his head into his hands. “This is so embarrassing!” he moaned. “Oh god, what else did I do while I was drunk?”

“Well, you were really getting into grinding on the dance floor,” Louis smirked. “One might say, a little too into it.”

Harry just groaned again, feeling more embarrassed than he had in his entire life. “This can’t be happening, this is so embarrassing!” he spilled. “Who did I dance with? Anyone bad?”

Louis just shrugged. “Mostly just Niall, Liam and Zayn,” he replied. Then his smile fell off his face and his eyes turned dark. “Or, that was until Nick Griffin tried to dance with you.”

Harry furrowed his brow. “Who?” he asked. He definitely recognized the name, but he couldn’t place it anywhere. 

“Nick Griffin, from the footie team,” Louis replied, gazing angrily at nothing in particular. “He’s a rotten scumbag, and he’s someone I wish I never got the displeasure of meeting.”

“I didn’t dance with him, did I? He didn’t like...” Harry asked, blood starting to drain from his face. Even by the tone Louis was using, he knew that there couldn’t be anything good with that guy. He couldn’t imagine how drunk he’d have to be to even be near someone like that. 

Louis seemed to sense his unease, and snapped out of his angry glare. “No, no,” he reassured him quickly. “I got you home before he could do anything.”

Harry nodded, thankful. He realized that he must have been a lot to deal with, between getting plastered at the party and then having to be saved by some footie guy. It must have been quite the wild night. 

“Wow, sorry about that,” he said, wincing at the thought. 

Louis looked over at him in surprise. “What? No, it wasn’t your fault,” he said quickly. “It was Nick Griffin who tried to get in your pants, not the other way around.”

Harry blushed in embarrassment at Louis mentioning his pants, but continued. “I mean, sorry that you had to basically babysit me while I was drunk last night. I sounded like I was quite a handful, so sorry about dumping that all on you.” Harry explained. 

“No, it wasn’t a problem. I wasn’t having any fun at the party,” Louis replied offhandedly, before turning around and smiling a little at him. “Besides, you were much more entertaining to be around.”

Harry opened his mouth, but just moaned again as he bit his lip. “I was really bad, wasn’t I?” He asked, grimacing a little. 

“Just a little bit,” Louis said with a smile and a shrug. “I’ve been around much more wild drunks before. You didn’t do anything insane or illegal or anything, just talked a little more freely than you probably would have now.”

“Talked a little more…” Harry repeated, his eyes going wide as he brought a hand up to his mouth in horror, a thousand things running through his head. “Oh my gosh, what did I say? What did I tell you? You have to tell me what I said, Louis!”

The other boy just laughed, throwing his head back cheerfully. “Guess you’ll never know,” he said with a playful smirk. “Because I’m not going to tell you anything!”

“Louis!” Harry laughed, smacking him on the arm again. “You have to tell me what I said! Was it embarrassing? What was it!”

Louis just shrugged, smiling wider than Harry had ever seen him do before. He leaned in closer to Harry’s face, so close that no one else would be able to hear them. Harry did the same, listening intently for the answer. 

Finally, Louis whispered into his ear: “I’ll never tell!”

“Louis, you twat!” Harry laughed, putting his hands against the other’s muscular chest and pushing him back against the bench. “If you’re not going to tell me, then I’m going to leave!”

Louis quickly grabbed his wrist, stopping him from leaving. “No!” he exclaimed, still laughing. “Don’t leave!”

The way he said it made Harry want to jump into his arms and never leave, but he wasn’t about to do that. “You’re not telling me what I want to hear!” Harry yelled back, smiling playfully. “So I’m going to leave!”

“Where would you go that could possibly be more interesting than sitting here on this lovely bench with me?” Louis asked. 

“More interesting than you?” Harry repeated, pretending to think it over. “Hmm, there’s just so many options… so many to choose from…”

“Why you little-!” Louis exclaimed, his mouth falling open. “You’re so cheeky! Where is all this sarcastic-ness coming from? You’re supposed to be little innocent Harry! Who is this cheeky monster?”

Harry just shrugged, the smile still tugging at his lips. “Guess you’re rubbing off on me,” he replied, before realizing how dirty it sounded. He blushed instantly, and so did Louis, who dropped his hold on his wrist. Harry cleared his throat awkwardly, “um, I really should be going.”

“Yeah, alright,” Louis said. “I just have one question…”

“Shoot,” Harry replied, copying what the other boy had said earlier. 

Louis smiled at the response, looking down at his hands. “It was just something you said last night…”

“Oh no,” Harry grimaced. “Was it something I’m about to regret?”

Louis winced at those words. “I don’t know,” he answered. He took a deep breath, before looking Harry into the eyes. “Last night you said you liked me.”

Harry literally felt his heart stop beating. His mouth went try, and he literally had to remind himself to keep breathing. “W-what?” he breathed, unsure if he could have heard correctly. He was praying that his ears were deceiving him. 

Louis looked sheepish. “Eh, you said that you liked me, and that if I was nicer we could be friends,” he said quickly. “But I get it if you were just talking when you were drunk-”

“Friends?” repeated Harry, his heart beating once more. “That’s what I said?”

“Yeah, you said we could be friends, but I totally understand if you were just saying that last night. Just because I was there and taking you home, so you might have felt obligated in some way to say something like that, and it’s totally fine if you didn’t really mean it-”

“No, no, sorry,” interrupted Harry, feeling more relieved. “No, I do want to be friends.”

Louis, for his part, looked up. “Y-you do?” He asked, shocked. 

Harry gave him a small, wobbly smile. “Of course, I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it,” he replied. “We can be friends, just as long as you’re nicer from now on.”

“Nicer?” Louis asked, his eyebrows raising. “I walk you home and buy you coffee, how much nicer do you want me to get?”

This time, Harry's smile was wider and more genuine. “You know what I mean,” he said. “And I have one condition.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” Louis asked, standing up as well so that they were standing next to each other. 

“You have to stop calling me ‘curly’,” Harry said. He smiled in satisfaction when Louis pouted a little bit. 

“What? That’s not fair!” Louis exclaimed, frowning. “That’s our thing! I call you ‘curly’ and you pretend to be angry about it! We can’t be friends if I can’t give you a nickname!”

Harry shrugged. “Well then, I guess you’ll have to come up with a better nickname,” he said. “Or else we can’t be friends.”

Louis considered this. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll think of something else to call you.”

“Alright then,” Harry said, nodding proudly. “I guess we’re friends now.” He held his hand out for Louis to shake. 

The footie captain looked at the outstretched hand, then back up to Harry and smiled. “I guess we are,” he replied, shaking his hand.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting everyday has been a challenge and I find it really hard to keep up. So from now on I might be updating every two or three days, who knows.
> 
> But I just want to thank all of you for faithfully reading this, it’s so amazing!!

Harry walked into school the next morning feeling good about the day. He had a lunch in his backpack for him to eat, and Alec was leaving him alone more than ever. 

Even when they’d run into each other in the hallways, usually Alec would either give him a small shove or just leave with a sneer. Honestly, it was progress from the daily stealing and bruises and someday, he might just completely leave Harry alone for good. 

Niall and Liam were the same as always, and Zayn was hanging around with them more and more everyday. 

He would walk with them down the hallways, have lunch in the cafeteria with them, and would hang out with them outside of class. And he wasn’t just friends with Liam anymore, he was actually becoming friends with Niall and Harry as well. 

Louis wasn’t going to be a problem anymore either, since apparently they were friends now. 

Harry didn’t exactly know how things would be any different between them, now that they were friends. He hadn’t been friends with Louis before, and wasn’t quite sure what it entailed. 

He didn’t exactly know how to act around the football captain, but he was determined to make it work. And if that meant shoving his romantic feelings deep down, then so be it. 

Harry was in a great mood, everything seemed to be going well for him. The weather was nice and crisp, perfect in every way. It was Monday, and while he didn’t like mondays, today felt like it was going to be a good day. He had a skip in his step as he headed to english class first thing in the morning. 

He walked right over to his seat, plopping down into it. He hummed a little as he pulled his textbook out of his bag. He looked up, seeing Louis sitting next to him, an amused smile tugging at his lips. “Good morning!” Harry chirped. 

Louis raised his eyebrows, smiling. “You’re in a good mood today,” he remarked. “Did something happen or something?”

“Nope!” Harry said, shaking his head. “It just feels like a good day!”

“A good day?” Louis repeated, furrowing his brow. “But it’s monday. We’re at school. It’s cold outside. How is this a good day?”

Harry just shrugged his shoulders. “It just is,” he said. “And you’re not going to ruin it for me with your bad mood.”

“I’m not in a bad mood,” Louis said, pouting a little. “But it’s monday, and we’re at school. Why would I be happy today? Why are you happy today?”

Harry shrugged again. “It’s just a nice day,” he replied. “It’s nice outside, I don’t have any homework left to finish and I’m not hungover. What’s not to like?”

“I don’t know,” Louis said, smiling a little. “I guess you’re right- about it not being such a bad day. Plus, it’s cute when you’re happy like this.”

Normally, Harry would have blushed, but today he just took it as a compliment. “I’m cute?” he repeated, raising his eyebrows in amusement. “What, do you go around calling all of your friends cute, or am I just special?”

“Special?” Louis snorted teasingly. “You wish!”

Harry scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I happen to be very special, Louis!” He replied.   
“Sure,” Louis said, rolling his eyes. 

The rest of the class passed like that, friendly banter between the two of them. It wasn’t serious, and it certainly wasn’t snarky like it had been before, instead it was more light and teasing. It was nice, and it made Harry feel tingly inside. 

By the time the class was over, Harry had done next to no work at all. He hadn’t been able to focus with Louis constantly taking up his entire attention. Even if he wasn’t talking, he was just so consuming in the way that took up all of his focus. 

It was hard to not stare at him, and even harder to look away once you were. Harry just spent the entire time studying Louis, rather than studying Shakespere. 

When lunch arrived, Harry headed happily over to the cafeteria, his lunch placed on a tray in his hands. He was practically skipping to the lunch table, feeling on top of the world after the english class with Louis. 

“Hey, guys!” he said happily, sliding into his spot next to Ed, “how’s everyone doing today?” When nobody responded, he looked up in confusion. They weren’t even looking at him, their gazes trained somewhere else. “Guys?”

“What? Oh, sorry, Harry,” Ed mumbled, not tearing his eyes away from a spot. Niall and Zayn just didn’t reply, all looking in the same direction. Harry followed their gazes, but he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“Uhh, guys? What are you looking at?” He asked in confusion, trying to get their attention. 

Zayn was the first to snap out of it, shaking his head a little from side to side. He then looked up at Harry apologetically. “Sorry Harry, we were just a little preoccupied…” he said, glancing over to the spot again. 

Harry furrowed his brow. “It’s alright,” he said to Zayn. “But what are you all looking at? Where’s Liam?” He just noticed the missing member of their group wasn’t there. That was strange since Liam always ate with them. 

Wordlessly, Niall pointed in the direction that they were all looking in. Harry followed his finger in confusion. His eyes finally landed on Alec’s usual table, and his eyes went wide. Liam was sitting there with them, laughing loudly. Alec was sitting with him, talking animatedly to Liam next to him like he was one of his friends. 

“B-but-” Harry stammered, blinking a few times in disbelief. “What is he doing there?!”

Niall just scowled, never tearing his eyes away. “He’s sitting with his new best friends,” he seethed, venom dripping from his voice. He was glaring heavily, something that Harry had only seen him do a few times, and never in context to Liam. 

“New best- what is going on!?” Harry exclaimed, feeling his stomach drop.   
“What do you mean ‘new best friends?’ How is this even possible? That’s Alec, for crying out loud! He doesn’t have best friends, and certainly not friends like Liam!”

Ed nodded solemnly. “We know,” he muttered, also glaring. “He’s been there the whole lunch. I also saw him hanging around with them today at his locker and in class.”

Harry frowned, his mouth open, speechless. “They’re not friends,” he uttered, shaking his head slowly. “There’s no way, they’re not friends. There must be something we don’t know, more to the story or something. There’s just no way- that’s just impossible!”

“It’s true,” Zayn said, grimly. “They’ve been hanging out this weekend after the party as well. He’s been talking about them nonstop at the dorm as well. They’re friends.”

Harry could feel himself getting angry, his eyes narrowing at them when Alec draped a beefy arm around Liam’s narrow shoulders. “This is just-!” he yelled, slamming his hand down on the table, causing the lunch trays to make a clattering noise. “This is ridiculous!”

He was about to say something else when he felt someone slide into the table next to him. “Hey friends!” Louis exclaimed brightly, sitting down with his own tray. The sound of his voice made everyone’s heads snap over to him in surprise. 

“Louis!” Zayn exclaimed, his eyes wide in surprise. “What are you doing here!?”

Louis just smiled brightly at him. “Oh, you know, just sitting with my best friend, Harry!” 

“Best what!?” Niall yelped, blinking a few times at Louis, his face shocked. “Since when have you two been friends!?”

“Since yesterday, right Hazza?” Louis replied, nudging Harry with his elbow. 

Harry hardly heard him, still glaring across the large room. He didn’t even notice the use of the new nickname that had slipped out. 

“Yeah,” he murmured, his gaze hardening at Liam. 

“Hazza?” Zayn pressed, raising his eyebrows. 

Louis nodded proudly. “Yup,” he replied happily, popping the ‘p’. “Sooo, what are we all looking at?”

“I was having a good day!” Harry suddenly yelled, throwing his hands up in the air in anger. “I was genuinely having a really good day!”

“He was having a pretty great day,” Louis agreed. 

“I was!” Harry yelled, starting to get riled up. He was nodding to himself, breathing heavily. “A very good day, and Liam is ruining it for me! Liam is ruining my good day!”

“Wait, what?” Louis asked, confused by the sudden outburst of emotion. “How’s Liam ruining your good day?”

Zayn tapped his friend on the shoulder, before pointing towards Alec’s table. It took Louis a couple moments to figure out what he was supposed to be looking at, but when he did, his eyes went wide and he let out a low whistle. 

“He’s a traitor, that’s what he is!” Niall shouted, his cheeks becoming a little flushed from anger. “He knows what a jerk Alec has been! He knows what he did! And there he is, being all chummy-chummy with the enemy!”

“Talk about a stab in the back,” Ed muttered, narrowing his eyes. “Completely unbelievable!”

Harry nodded at their comments, standing up in anger. “Yeah, he is a traitor! He’s a traitor and he’s ruining my day, and I’m going to tell him that!” He shouted, walking towards the table on the other end of the hall. 

“You go tell him, H!” Niall shouted. 

“Set him straight!” Ed added, only encouraging the curly haired teen.   
He marched all the way across the cafeteria. No one else seemed to have noticed him yet, as they all continued chatting among themselves. Liam was completely engrossed by the people at his table that he didn’t realize Harry until he was right behind him. 

Liam turned around in surprise, his eyes going wide when he recognized his friend. “H-Harry!?” he yelped, glancing between the angered teen and the other guys at the table nervously. “W-what are you doing over here?”

‘Good,’ Harry thought to himself, finding small satisfaction in his actions. ‘He’s embarrassed by himself. Rightfully so.’

“The real question is; what are YOU doing over here?” Harry snapped, glaring with all his might at Alec, who was smirking up at him. “We’re not friends with them, why are you sitting here?”

Liam opened his mouth in surprise, before he started glaring back. “Excuse me!” he snarled. “But YOU don’t get to decide who I sit with, and YOU certainly don’t get to decide who I’m friends with! Now go away and mind your own business!”

Harry was taken aback by his friend’s words, but he quickly covered it up again.

“Are you stupid!?” he demanded, causing Liam’s face to turn red. “Are you actually stupid? Have you somehow forgotten that Alec is a bully? Have you forgotten how he would shove me against lockers and beat me up? You’re so stupid, Liam!”

Liam blinked a few times, before seeming to snap out of it. “Leave me alone, Harry!” he shouted, his eyes flashing. “Go away! Go run back to Louis and leave me alone to be with my real friends!”

“You tell him, Li!” Alec shouted, smirking when Harry’s mouth fell open. 

Harry was so mad, he could hardly speak. His face was red and hot in his rage, and his fists were clenched and shaking by his sides. Liam wasn’t much worse, as he was flushed and glaring in anger and embarrassment. 

“You’re so tense. You need to relax, babe,” one of the guys purred at him, reaching a hand up to snake itself around his small waist. Harry inhaled sharply from the contact. “Come here and sit with us and I’ll help you with that.”

Harry flinched away, smacking the guy’s arm away from him. The guy took his hand away, but was smirking as his eyes raked over Harry’s body. Liam just sat there, saying nothing and looking uncomfortable. 

That was enough to tip Harry over the edge. 

He was just about to blow up when a hand wrapped itself around his small wrist. He was about to jerk it away again, but the hand pulled him close against another body. “You’re making a scene, Harry,” Louis said in a hushed voice. 

“I don’t care if I’m making a scene,” Harry snapped back, trying to pull away. 

But Louis just kept his hand firm but gentle, keeping him in place. “He’s not worth it. They’re scum, all of them. They’re not worth your breath,” he said quietly. 

“He’s my friend,” insisted Harry, but he wasn’t fighting against the grip anymore. He was more just grasping at straws.  
Louis seemed to understand. “I know, love,” he whispered. “But here isn’t the time or the place. People are watching you.”

Sure enough, everyone in the cafeteria seemed to have stopped whatever they were doing before and were now watching them. They were whispering together as they stared at Harry, watching his every move. 

Harry’s eyes shot over the people watching them, then to Liam and Alec at the table, then to the guy who had grabbed him, then finally to Louis. Louis was watching him intently with his blue eyes staring pleadingly into Harry’s emerald ones. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. 

“I want to keep yelling at him,” Harry murmured back, frowning a little at the other teen. 

Louis nodded. “I know,” he said. “He deserves it. But you can do that later when the rest of these people aren’t around. Just come back to the table with me, Niall, Ed and Zayn.”

Harry scowled for a long moment, but he let himself be led back to the table by Louis, the older teen still grasping his thin wrist in his hand as they walked straight for the table. 

Niall seemed to be just about ready to blow from anger, while Ed spoke quietly to him. Zayn was just glaring heavily at the table, his gaze heated. 

Harry could hear them start to pick up the conversation again at Alec’s table, all of them letting out loud and boisterous laughter. Harry glowered at the sound of it, gritting his teeth to keep himself from breaking free of Louis’ grip and going back over there. 

When they arrived at the table, Louis had to physically pull Harry down into the seat. But even when he was sitting down, he crossed his arms over his chest and glowered in their direction. 

“He’s not worth it,” Ed muttered to Harry, bringing a hand up to rest on the other boy’s shoulder. 

“How isn’t he worth it?” snapped Harry, turning to face him. “He’s our friend. How isn’t he worth it, Ed?”

“Is he our friend?” Niall interrupted, his tone icy. Harry’s heart skipped a beat as he glanced over at Liam, and then to Niall. “Is he? This isn’t how you treat your friends.”

And honestly, Harry wasn’t so sure anymore.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a juicy chapter for you ;)
> 
> Love the kudos and the comments, they really make putting new chapters out much easier!

When the day was over, Harry was just ready to lock himself in his dorm. It was not a good day anymore. The weather used to seem nice and crisp, but now it was just cold and dreary. 

His happiness had completely left his body, and all he could do was scowl the whole walk back to the dorm. 

Louis poked him in the side. “It’s gonna be fine, yeah?” he said as they all walked back to Princess Park that afternoon. “Liam’s going to realize what a big mistake he’s making and how stupid he’s being.”

“He’s stupid,” Harry grumbled, glaring straight ahead at nothing in particular. “He’s so stupid.”

Louis nodded, placing an arm loosely over his shoulders. He hummed in agreement, walking in silence for a few beats. 

Finally, he swallowed thickly before speaking. “You know,” he started. “If you wanted to take your mind off of things, you could come over to my dorm later and watch a movie or something?”

Harry stopped, blinking a few times. “To your dorm?” he repeated, furrowing his brows. “To watch a movie? With you? Just us?”

“W-well, um, yeah?” Louis stammered, looking down at the ground. “I mean,I was planning to also invite Niall and Zayn to come too, but we don’t have to if you don’t want to. Just like, to hang out as friends outside of school or something”

Harry bit his lip, looking down at his hands. How stupid was he to have thought that Louis would actually invite just him to watch a movie? Of course he meant to invite everyone, not just Harry. How stupid could he be? 

Embarrassed, all he could do was murmur a small, “oh.”

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” Louis said quickly. “I would completely understand if that would be weird or something- this is probably stupid. I was just thinking that since we’re friends now and all, we should do friendly things…”

“No, Louis, stop talking,” Harry said interrupting. “You’re overthinking this. Of course I want to come over, I didn’t mean for it to sound like I didn’t.”

“Oh, you do?” Louis asked in surprise, his eyes going wide. Harry looked up at him, suddenly hyper aware of the arm around his shoulders, and smiled. 

“‘Course I do,” he said. “We’re friends now. We do friendly things.”

Louis nodded, quietly mumbling, “yeah, friendly things.”

“Um, but you should also invite Zayn and Niall. Since they’re our friends too,” he muttered, continuing walking. “But that would be great, actually. Anything to keep me from sitting in my room thinking about Liam would be great…”

“Of course, yeah,” Louis replied, itching the back of his neck. “So, umm… do you want to come by at around six o’clock? Niall and I have footie practise to get to before then, but anytime after can also work. We could order takeout or something for supper if you want…”

“Ok, takeout would be great actually,” Harry said, smiling a little. They got to the elevator, which meant that they would now be going their separate ways. Harry stepped into the empty elevator, before turning to look at him. “I’ll see you at six then.”

Louis nodded, smiling. “Yeah, see you then,” he said, waiting until the elevator doors closed. Then Harry was gone, and Louis was left in the communal area, smiling like an idiot. 

***

“How was footie?” Harry asked when Niall walked into the dorm later than day. 

The blond boy shrugged. “It was pretty good actually,” he said, flopping down onto the couch. “Louis was in a great mood for the whole practise, which was fun. We did some drills, ran some laps, played a game. Just the usual stuff.”

“Hey, you’re getting your sweaty body all over the couch!” Harry exclaimed, pushing his friend off of the cushions. He then quickly wiped away any trace of a puddle that had been left behind from the sweaty teen. 

Niall rolled his eyes. “I’m not that sweaty,” he muttered, wiping the sweat on his forehead away with his hand. It came off moist, and Niall made a face at his hand. “Well, maybe I am that sweaty.”

“You really are,” Harry tutted. “So go get a shower before we leave. You stink.”

Niall just looked at him in confusion, furrowing his brow. “Leave?” he repeated. “Where are we going?”

This time, Harry looked at him in confusion. “Didn’t Louis mention it?” he asked, puzzled. 

“Mention what?” his friend asked. “Harry, what are you talking about?”

“We’re going to Louis’ dorm tonight to watch a movie with him and Zayn,” Harry stated, frowning a little. “He didn’t tell you already?”

Niall shook his head. “He didn’t say anything about it,” he replied. “And I don’t want to go.”

Harry opened his mouth in surprise. “What!?” he yelped, his eyes going wide. “Niall, you have to come! Why don’t you want to come? You like Louis and Zayn!”

“Yeah, I like them,” he said. “At school. I don’t want to go to his dorm to watch some crap movie and third wheel you and Louis.”

“Third wheel!?” Harry sputtered, feeling his cheeks start to heat up again. “Niall, that’s not- you can’t third wheel- that’s not what this is!”

“Whatever you say, H,” his friend replied, rolling his eyes. “But all I’m saying is that I don’t want to go to Louis’ dorm to watch a movie. That’s not what I wanted to do tonight.”

Harry pouted, jutting out his bottom lip. 

“Please come, Ni,” he pleaded, looking imploringly at his friend. “We can do what you want to do another night. I’ll make it up to you if you come with me!”

“How are you gonna make it up to me?” Niall asked, raising his eyebrows. 

Harry knew that he was falling right into Niall’s trap, and that he was definitely going to regret everything later on. 

But he was getting desperate, and they were running late. “I’ll do whatever you want to do another night!”

“Whatever I want to do?” Niall repeated. Harry nodded eagerly, his curls bopping around his head loosely. “Alright then. Next party I want to go to, you have to come. And fully participate.”

Harry opened his mouth. “No!” he exclaimed. “Anything except for that!”

“Nope,” Niall chirped, shrugging. “Unless you don’t want to go to the movie tonight…”

Harry cut him off. “Fine. I’ll go to your stupid party,” he said. “Just please hurry up!”

“Ok,” the blond boy said happily, skipping away to the shower. “Just know that you were the one who brought this onto yourself!”

After Niall had showered, they both got ready to go. Zayn had already messaged Harry, saying there was a good chance of the night going on quite late, so he should dress comfortably. 

So Harry split on his light grey sweatpants along with his navy sweatshirt. He then ran his fingers through his curls, trying to get them to behave. But they just bounced loosely along his head and there wasn’t anything he could do to tame them. 

Sighing, he just pushed them back one more time, before leaving his bedroom. 

Niall must also have gotten the memo about dressing comfortably, since he was wearing a pair of joggers and a loose shirt, with his blond hair still damp from the shower. He leaned against the counter, scrolling through his phone lazily. 

“Ready to go?” Harry asked, causing his friend to look up from his phone. 

He nodded, standing up. “It’s about time. You took a long time in there getting ready, it’s not a date or anything.” 

Harry frowned at him, poking him in the ribs. “Stop saying things like that!” he exclaimed. “There’s nothing going on, we’re just friends! Besides, do I look like I was getting ready for a date?”

“I don’t know, you always look good to me,” Niall responded cheekily, ducking down to peck Harry on the cheek. The other just squeaked, swatting him away.

Rubbing the kiss off his face, Harry pouted in his direction. “Stop!” he whined. “Let’s just go already! We’re already late as it is!”

“Whatever you say, babe,” Niall replied with a shrug. “I don’t see the big rush, it’s not like they’d start it without us.”

“Let’s just go,” Harry urged. “I don’t like being late, and we were supposed to be there five minutes ago!”

“Oh you worry wart, he’s just down the hall. We’ll be there in thirty seconds,” Niall said breezily, waltzing over to the counter. He held up a bag of Skinny Pop. “Besides, I bought popcorn, so they’ll have to forgive us.”

Harry’s eyes lit up at the sight of the bag. “Yeah, but let’s go!”

The two boys rushed out the door. Well more Harry was rushing as he gripped Niall’s hand and dragged his friend, while Niall walked at a casual pace behind him. They hurried down the hall, rounding the corner where they had fallen only a few weeks ago. 

Once they got to Louis’ dorm room, Niall lifted his hand to knock on the door. But before he could, Harry’s hand seemed to shoot out of nowhere and grab him by the wrist, effectively stopping him. 

Niall turned to look at him with a confused expression. “What are you doing?” he asked. 

But Harry didn’t seem to hear him, that or he just completely ignored him. “How do I look?” he asked worriedly, running a hand through his curls. “I should have brushed it before, shouldn’t I? I must look so stupid! I should have-”

“Harry, shut up,” Niall said, looking at him softly. “Listen, you look great. Kinda the same as always, but you always look great. Just remember that this isn’t anything other than some friends getting together to watch a movie, nothing more. So stop fussing over every single thing.”

Harry bit his lip, looking his friend in the eyes. He looked so nervous and scared, with his emerald eyes wide. “Ok,” he said, taking a deep, shuddering breath. “Ok, this is just like friends getting together.”

“Not ‘just like’. This is just friends getting together. Stop overthinking everything,” Niall said sternly, frowning at his friend. “Don’t get the wrong idea about this, H. Louis is a flirt, so don’t assume this means anything.”

Harry nodded looking down. “Yeah,” he murmured softly. “This doesn’t mean anything…”

Niall glanced at his friend, wanting to say more. But he couldn’t- at least not while they were in the hallway and were already running late for the meeting. So instead he just squeezed the other boy’s hand comfortingly, before reaching a hand up to knock on the door. 

He only got a chance to knock once, before the door was flung open. Louis was standing there, dressed in sweats and a hoodie. His light brown hair was hanging down loosely, damp from a shower. He also had a face splitting smile on his face. 

“Niall! Harry!” he exclaimed, opening the door excitedly for them. “Come on in! The takeout just got here and Zayn’s just picking out a movie!”

The two boys walked into the dorm, and Harry took a chance to glance up at the other boy. 

“Sorry we’re late,” he said apologetically, biting his lip as he looked at the taller boy.

He looked good as ever, even when he put no effort into how he looked. Harry practically had to force his eyes on Louis’ face so that it wouldn’t drop down further.

Louis didn’t seem to notice his inner struggle, as he waved his hand. “Ah, don’t worry about it,” he said breezily. “The time doesn’t really matter to me, I was just hoping you’d show up.”

“‘Course we would,” Harry replied, smiling softly at him. “I said that we were going to, after all. But I am sorry that we weren’t on time.”

“It literally doesn’t matter at all what time you showed up,” Louis said with a shrug, “‘s not like we were going to start it without you.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t!” Niall exclaimed, his head popping out of nowhere so that he was standing right in between the two of them. “If you started without us, you wouldn’t have gotten any of our snacks!”

Louis' face, if possible, lit up even brighter at that. “You brought snacks!?” he exclaimed excitedly, his eyes going wide and his smile going even wider. 

Niall nodded proudly, holding up the bag of popcorn in his hands. “Hell yeah we did,” he answered, handing the bag to Louis. “It’s the strange healthy junk that Harry likes. He literally won’t let me buy any other kind. But don’t worry, it tastes like real popcorn.”

“It’s not strange!” Harry pouted, crossing his arms over his chest as he jutted his bottom lip out. “It’s just not as greasy as the regular stuff, and there’s nothing wrong with that!”

Louis just looked at the curly haired boy with a smirk. “I knew I should have pegged you as one of those health food addicts,” he mused. “Honestly, I’m not surprised.”

Harry stopped pouting, turning to look at the boy with a sly expression. “Yeah?” he asked. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know,” the bigger teen replied. “One of those people who eats only healthy food and stuff and not any real food.”

Harry frowned playfully, opening his mouth to retaliate. But before he could, Zayn’s voice was interrupting him as he called them over. The conversation then stopped as the boys all headed over to the couch, where the dark headed teen was sitting. 

Zayn was sitting on the main couch, flipping through Netflix in search of a movie. Niall immediately went to sit next to him, flopping carelessly onto the couch and taking up a lot of space. Harry moved to go sit beside his blond friend, but a hand grabbed his arm. 

Harry turned around in confusion to look at Louis, who was still holding onto his wrist. The boy looked sheepish, but also had a small grin on his face. 

“Come sit by me?” he offered, motioning to the opposite corner of the couch. 

“Um,” Harry stammered, casting a glance over at Niall as he silently asked him what to do. But Niall was already chatting animatedly into Zayn’s ear, not noticing his friend’s predicament. 

So, swallowing thickly, he turned to look back at Louis. “Sure,” he answered. 

Louis’ face quickly turned from a little nervous to smiling again. He flopped backwards, landing in the corner of the couch comfortably. He then patted the spot next to him for Harry to sit, which he did. 

“So, what are we thinking lads?” Zayn asked, flicking through the Netflix movies. “We could go for a superhero movie, a horror movie or Star Wars. Or at least, those are the three options I’ve come up with.”

Harry bit his lip, not knowing exactly which to choose. He usually would go for choosing a superhero movie, preferably Marvel. But he didn’t know if the other boys would want to watch one of those, especially since they’ve probably seen them all already. Whenever Harry watched movies, he always stuck with romcoms. But there was no way that he was going to suggest that to the boys, especially not to Louis. 

“I don’t care,” Louis said with a shrug. “You guys can pick it. I like all three of those.”

Harry could feel the boy’s eyes on him, as he sat there stiffly. He could feel Louis looking at him as though he expected Harry to say which one he wanted. “Y-yeah, I don’t care either,” he stuttered, praying no one noticed. They didn’t seem to. 

“Alright, I can pick,” Zayn said with a small shrug. “It looks like It is finally on Netflix, so let’s watch that. I didn’t get a chance to see it in theatres.”

Harry paled a little at that. He definitely wasn’t into watching horror movies, especially ones that were rated R. He just didn’t like them and he never had before. He always got scared of them and would sometimes get nightmares. 

“Sounds good,” Niall said, completely oblivious to his best friend’s distress. 

“Good with me,” Louis answered. He then nudged Harry, causing the boy to jump a little. “What about you, Haz?”

Harry swallowed thickly. “Yeah, sounds good,” he lied.

Zayn nodded, clicking on the movie. Before he pressed play, he grabbed the takeout boxes from the coffee table and handed one out to each of them. Harry smiled at the boy in thanks, opening the box. The delicious smells immediately filled his nose, and he hummed happily. They then all started digging in as Zayn pressed play. 

The movie started, and Harry already had a bad feeling in his stomach. He could already tell that it was going to be a long night when the creepy music started, followed by the dark and condescending logo. It was only a few seconds in, and he was already terrified. 

“You can relax, love,” Louis whispered into his ear, causing Harry to inhale sharply. He felt a hand rest on his low back, easing him into the couch. “You’re sitting up really stiffly, are you alright?”

Harry nodded, slowly relaxing his body into the couch cushions. “Yeah,” he lied shakily. “I was just cold, that’s all.”

He expected Louis to believe his lie, and then drop the subject. But instead, the other boy reached across the couch, before grabbing a big, heavy grey blanket. He then draped it over the two of them, much to Harry’s surprise. 

“Better?” he asked, tucking the blanket under the two of them so that they were settled completely under the blanket, pushed up together. They were so close now that Harry could feel the other boy’s breath as his chest lifted with each inhale.

“Better,” Harry replied as he swallowed. He then tried to concentrate on the movie again, trying his best to calm his breathing. He didn’t know if he was more nervous about the movie or about being so close to Louis, but he was determined to calm himself down. 

Only an hour into the movie, Harry was trembling a little. They were only a third into the movie, but it was honestly terrifying. Pennywise was as creepy as they come, with his blood red smile and his sharp teeth. 

Harry started shaking at the sight of him, biting his lip in fear. 

Niall decided that it was a good time to hand out the popcorn, so they paused the movie as the blond boy ran to get two bowls. He put half the popcorn into one, and the other half into another, before handing one of the bowls to Harry and Louis. 

Harry blushed a little about sharing a bowl with the other boy, but was thankful that it was dark in the room. The darkness made it all the more scary, but it also meant that no one could see how red he was getting.

They had just gotten to the projector scene, and Harry could feel the unease creeping onto the screen. Everything was almost dead silent, except for the slow clicking of the projector. Goosebumps had already danced their way up Harry’s skin as he watched with wide eyes. 

‘Get out of there, get out of there, get out of there,’ he chanted to the characters, but obviously they weren’t listening to him. 

They just stood there, watching the projector in silence. Harry knew something bad was going to happen, but he didn’t expect it when Pennywise jumped out. 

Harry let out a scream, the popcorn that had been in his hands flying out of the bowl and all over the blanket. He slammed his eyes shut, trembling as he heard the characters scream followed by a bunch of other loud noises from the screen. 

He heard a soft chuckle come from the boy next to him, followed by a hand coming to the small of his back. “Awe, that jump scare got you pretty bad,” Louis whispered, rubbing comforting circles on his back. “Got the popcorn everywhere with that one.”

“S-sorry,” Harry gasped, still keeping his eyes shut firmly. He flinched again when there was the sound of another scream coming from the movie. 

Louis’ hand stopped moving, and he turned his neck to look at Harry’s face in concern. “Is this too much?” he asked worriedly. “Do you want to turn it off and watch something else?”

Harry quickly shook his head. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin the movie for everyone else just because he was scared. No, he wasn’t going to make them change the movie. He couldn’t do that to them when they had all wanted to see it. 

“Are you sure? It would really not be a problem at all,” the other teen said. 

Harry shook his head again. “No,” he said shakily. “Keep watching the movie. It’s fine.”

Louis didn’t say anything else as the movie continued. But he ever-so-slowly placed his arm around Harry’s waist, before slowly pulling him closer. He pulled the curly haired boy so close until they were flush against each other, with Harry’s face hidden in Louis’ chest. 

“This alright?” Louis whispered quietly, his voice sounding hesitant. Harry paused. 

Yes, it did feel good to him now. But was it going to just make him fall harder and be more hurt later on? The answer was it probably would. But the boy decided to be selfish for once and nod. 

Louis seemed satisfied with his answer because he kept one arm wrapped firmly around Harry’s waist while the other one would rotate from eating popcorn off of the blanket and running his fingers through Harry’s curls. 

Harry sat there, hiding mostly behind the blanket so that he could hardly see any of the screen. He could still hear the creepy music, the screams and the dialogue, but that didn’t matter as much. 

Besides, he felt much safer when he was nestled up against Louis, feeling his chest move as he breathed as well as the steady sound of his heartbeat. 

When the movie was over, Harry was very tired. The entire time since the jump scare, he had slowly been lulled to sleep by Louis’ fingers gently massaging his head as they ran themselves through his hair. Harry remembered when he did that the first time that night, he had nearly forgotten how to breathe. But then it became less of a romantic thing and more of just a soothing thing. 

Niall stretched from where he was flopped on the other end of the couch, popping his limbs. “That was a good movie,” he sighed, yawning a little. “But I’m blaming Zayn if I can’t get a proper night’s sleep for the rest of the year.”

Zayn just laughed. “Yeah, I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to fall asleep after this.”

“I think Harry’s already asleep,” Louis said quietly, his hand coming to a stop as he slowly detangled it from the curls. At this, Harry cracked his eyes open. 

“I’m not asleep,” he protested, but yawned after he said that. He looked up to see Louis looking at him with a small smile, so instead of just being embarrassed about the whole situation, he just smiled back up at him. 

“Well you certainly made a big mess,” stated Zayn, looking at all the popcorn on the blanket and floor from when he had spilled it. It seemed to be everywhere and made a big mess. Harry blushed at this as he looked at it guiltily. 

“Oh shut up,” Louis retorted, glaring at the dark haired boy. “It’s not a big deal.”

“I can clean this all up now,” Harry offered, starting to pick up the pieces of popcorn from the blanket and ground, putting them in the bowl again. 

Louis touched his hand, stopping him. “No, it’s fine,” he said earnestly. “We’re all tired, so you and Niall can head back and get some sleep. I’ll just clean this in the morning.”

Harry shook his head at the offer. “No, Louis. I made the mess, so I’ll clean it up.”

“Nope! You’re going to bed right now, and no one is going to clean this up until at least the morning,” Louis argued, taking the bowl out of the other boy’s hands. 

Harry looked like he was about to protest, when Louis cut him off again. “Go to bed, love,” he whispered quietly. 

“Ok then,” Niall said, standing up. He walked over and grabbed Harry by the arms, pulling him up to his feet. “You heard the lad! Now, let’s go to bed.”

Harry let himself be led out by his blond friend- well, more like dragged out. Harry was walking as slowly as possible, not wanting to leave the flat and Niall was pulling him towards the door. The curly haired boy kept glancing back at Louis, who was sitting on the couch and watching him.

“Thanks for inviting us!” Harry called back before his friend could force him out the door. “Really, it was great!”

“We’ll have to do it again sometime,” Louis replied, watching as the irish boy finally managed to push Harry out of the dorm door. The boy nodded vigorously. 

“See you at school tomorrow,” Niall said, before finally closing the door. He then turned around so that he was looking at Harry with an unimpressed expression on his face. 

Harry furrowed his brow. “What?” he asked. 

Niall just huffed, shaking his head a little. “Harry, you’re getting too attached too quickly,” he murmured. “He’s Louis Tomlinson.”

“So?” Harry frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why’s that a big deal?”

“Harry, he’s not good enough for you. Louis is literally the most popular guy at this school. He can be your friend, but nothing else,” Niall said carefully, looking at his friend with a pitying expression. 

Harry narrowed his eyes at the boy. “Why do you get to choose who I’m friends with and who I’m more than friends with?” he snapped. 

Niall just sighed, before wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulders. “I just don’t want for you to get hurt, Harry,” he said softly. 

Harry frowned, not liking where this conversation was going at all. But nonetheless, he let his friend lead him down the hall towards their room. 

He didn’t like what Niall was telling him- not at all. But he knew it deep down. Louis was the most popular guy at school, and he had every single person falling head over heels for him. He hadn’t had a stable boyfriend or girlfriend for as long as he had been at the school. 

They walked down the hall and were just about to turn the corner, when a figure stepped out from the other side. 

Harry ran right into them, before taking a step backwards. “Oh, sorry!” he said. 

Harry’s eyes then widened in surprise. He looked at Niall, who had the same expression on his face. Standing right in front of them was none other than Liam Payne. 

“Liam?” gasped Niall, looking just as surprised as Harry felt. “What are you doing down here?”

Liam just looked up in surprise as well. But his face soon changed into something else. “Me? What are you two doing way down on the other end of the floor?” he snapped, glaring at them. 

Niall, ever the irish hot head, glared back at him. “Why does it matter what we were doing?” he shot back. “And we asked you first. So what are you doing down here?”

“Actually I was going to talk to you about today, but I’m not going to stay where I’m so obviously not welcome,” Liam seethed, narrowing his eyes. 

“Were you coming to apologize?” Niall demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you here to tell us what a big mistake you made? Because if not, I don’t want to hear it!” 

“Apologize?!” Shouted Liam, his face turning pink in anger. “I’m not the one who has to apologize here!”

“And you think we do?” Harry asked, speaking up for the first time. He was glaring at the other teen with a cold expression on his face, much different than the one he usually had. 

“I think you need to pull out that stick that’s shoved so far up your arse and realize that you’re not a saint, and Alec isn’t the devil!” Liam replied angrily. “You talk about him like he’s trash!”

Harry sputtered in surprise, his face turning red in anger. “Because he is a piece of trash!” He yelled. “He’s a piece of trash that doesn’t care about anyone but himself!”

“Doesn’t care about anyone other than himself?” Liam repeated, snarling at them. “Sound familiar at all? Isn’t that what you’ve been saying about Tomlinson since the start of school?”

“Don’t bring Louis into this!” Niall snapped, jumping to his friend’s defence. “Louis is our friend, and we’re not going to let you talk about him like that!”

Liam let out a humourless laugh. “Oh please! What does he know about having friends? What do either of you know about having friends?!” He exclaimed. 

“Louis apparently knows more about having friends than you!” Harry yelled. “And what do you mean ‘what do we know’?! You’re the one who decided to be friends with a jerk like Alec and abandon us!”

“You two aren’t better than him! You two don’t know anything about being good friends!” Liam shouted back at him. 

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Snapped Niall. “We’ve never abandoned you!”

“You didn’t have to!” Liam yelled. They were now screaming at each other and causing a scene in the hallway. “You two have always been closer to each other! I was never part of your special inner circle, it was always you two! Then you stole my roommate and now you’re replacing me with Tomlinson of all people!”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Niall yelled, his eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at his friend. “We didn’t replace anyone! You are literally so delusional!”

“Delusional?!” Liam screamed back, gripping his hair in his hands. “You have no idea what’s been going on! You’ve been replacing me with Zayn and Tomlinson since the start of the year!”

They were causing a scene now by all their screaming. People were peeking their heads out of their dorms to see what was going on, attracted by all the shouts and insults. Zayn and Louis had also run out of the dorm and rushed over to them. 

“Hey, what’s going on over here?” Louis asked in concern, running over to Niall and Harry. Zayn was running over to Liam, trying to calm the boy down. It wasn’t working as the three of them continued yelling at each other. 

“You’re mental!” Niall screamed, trying to lunge for Liam, but was held back by Louis’ strong arms before he could do something physical. 

“You’re the mental one! I’ve never been good enough for you two, and now you’ve been spending all your time with Zayn and Tomlinson!” Liam yelled back, completely ignoring his roommate as Zayn tried to pull him away from the scene. 

“I said leave Zayn and Louis out of this!” Harry screamed. “This is about me, you and Niall! Leave them out if it!”

“Come on, Harry,” Niall huffed, grabbing his friend’s arm and pulling him away. “He’s obviously not worth our time anymore.”

But Liam wasn’t having it. “Anymore?! I’ve never been worth your time! At least, not while Harry’s been running around being a slut for Tomlinson!”

At that, Harry seemed to snap. He spun around on his heel, ripping his arm out of Niall’s grip. And before anyone could stop him, he lifted a hand and slapped Liam across the face. 

“HARRY!” Both Zayn, Niall and Louis shouted at once. Liam blinked in complete shock, bringing a hand up to his now bright red cheek. He then lunged forward and shoved Harry back roughly. 

Harry hit the ground hard, while Zayn grabbed Liam. Harry looked up with wide eyes as Zayn managed to wrestle the other teen away from them. 

He felt someone grab him and help him to his feet. Niall then pulled him towards their dorm, leaving everyone else behind. Harry let himself be pulled away, but turned back to glare at Liam. Liam was being yanked away by Zayn, who both looked equally as angry. 

“You’re being ridiculous!” Liam screamed in their direction, cranking his neck around to look at them. “He doesn’t like you, Harry! Stop being such a slut and wake the hell up!”

“Shut up!” Louis yelled. But the two friends didn’t turn around. Harry’s breath hitched in his throat at Liam’s words, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to block out the words and ignore the stares of random people as they walked away. 

Niall and Harry both stalked down the hallway, until they finally got to their dorm. They could still feel the commotion going on in the hallway, as well as the guys who had heard everything going on. When they got to their dorm door, Niall pushed it open. 

“Good for nothing slime ball,” Niall muttered angrily, slamming the door closed behind them. He let go of Harry’s arm, and the curly haired boy staggered forward.

Harry heard his blond friend standing a few feet away, swearing freely like the Irish he was. 

Harry stumbled towards his bedroom and closed the door behind him. 

He went forward and changed quickly into his pajamas. He threw his clothes onto the ground carelessly, hardly even seeing them anyway. He then went straight to his bed and flopped down onto it. 

“He doesn’t like you… you’re a slut… abandon… you were never my friend…” Liam’s voice rang through his head, causing Harry to whimper into pillow. The way Liam had turned his face up at them in disgust and snarled, he truly meant every word he had said. 

Harry’s heart broke a little at each word his friend- ex friend- had said. They had each torn straight through him, stabbing him in the heart. The thought only caused him to cry a little harder. 

Harry slowly lifted his blankets off of the bed before climbing under them and leaning back into his pillow. He cuddled under the thick blankets, hiding his face into them. 

Then, with tears dripping down his face, Harry cried himself to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, these chapter are getting harder and harder to put out! 
> 
> I may be updating less than I have in the past, but don’t worry, I’m still writing and will continue to update when I can!

The next morning, Harry was in a very bad mood. He rolled out of bed with tears stains on his cheeks and his curls lying in a messy mop on the top of his head. His skin was paler than usual and he had bags hanging under his eyes. 

Harry just grumbled at his reflexion, before making his way out of his bedroom. 

He walked into the kitchen, seeing Niall was already awake. He was standing next to the fridge, shoving piece after piece of pizza viciously into his mouth. He didn’t seem to notice Harry as he entered, just continued chewing viciously. 

Harry mumbled a quick ‘see you soon,’ to his best friend, before walking out of the door. He didn’t bother changing out of his sweats before walking towards the elevator. Thankfully, he didn’t run into anyone he didn’t want to see. 

The only people who were standing in the elevator were a few guys who didn’t bother talking to him, but a few of them would cast quick glances at him. 

When they finally got to the bottom communal floor, Harry walked out. He walked straight to the coffee machine, or was about to. But standing there was Alec and Nick, both leaning next to the counter next to the machine. He’d have to push past them to get there, and there was no way he was going to do that. 

He was just about to turn around when he saw someone familiar. He brightened a little as Zayn noticed him and jogged over.   
“Hey,” he said once he got to Harry. 

“Hey,” the other boy replied, looking down. They stood there for a few awkward moments. “So, uh, what are you doing down here?”

“I just came back from a run with Louis,” Zayn answered, sounding a little breathless. At the mention of the footie captain’s name, Harry’s eyes looked around. Zayn seemed to notice, and he added, “Louis already went back up to his dorm to get ready, but he told me to give you this.”

Wordlessly, Zayn pulled out a paper cup with a lip on it. There was a little steam coming out of the small drinking hole, meaning it was still hot. 

Harry accepted the drink, furrowing his brow in confusion. “What is it?” He asked, taking a small sip. As soon as his lips met the hot drink, his eyes went wide. “Coffee?!”

Zayn shrugged. “He didn’t say what it was, but he said you’d want it when you came down.” 

Harry bit back a smile that was forming on his lips as he looked at the small cup filled with dark liquid. Louis had known he would show up and had gotten him a coffee so that he wouldn’t have to push through Alec and Nick. The thought was enough to make him feel tingly on the inside. 

“Thanks, Zayn,” he said, taking another sip of the drink. He hummed in contentment, closing his eyes happily as the hot liquid slipped down his throat, leaving a slight burning sensation in the back of his mouth. 

“No problem,” Zayn replied, glancing down at his watch. “But I have to go get ready now. I’ll see you at school today, yeah?”

Harry nodded, smiling in goodbye as his friend left to go to his dorm. After Zayn left, he stood there for another moment, enjoying the feeling of the cup in his hands. 

There weren’t very many people in the communal area, which was Harry’s favourite time to hang out there. But one, Alec and Nick were still there, and two, he didn’t have time. 

So, with a final look around the room, Harry headed back up to his dorm with a drink in hand. 

***

Harry walked into his first class of the day, which happened to be english class. Otherwise known as the one class where both Liam and Louis were there. Harry wasn’t looking forward to going to that class, but he knew that he didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. 

So, taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and walked inside. 

Liam was already sitting at his desk, slouched down. He had his phone out under his desk, and he was typing away furiously on it. 

For some unexplained reason, he looked up just as Harry walked into the room. They made quick eye contact, before they both looked away quickly. 

Harry huffed in his direction, before purposefully taking the long way towards his desk so that he didn’t go anywhere remotely close to Liam’s desk. He then marched over to his table, before sitting down and settling for glaring at the other boy’s back. 

He felt a hand touching his back before he realized that someone was there. He jumped a little at the contact, spinning around to look at the person in surprise. 

“Hey, hey, it’s just me,” Louis murmured softly, talking low enough for only Harry to be able to hear him. He was looking at the curly haired boy with a concerned expression, his face written in nothing but worry. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Harry replied shortly, but he didn’t move away from Louis’ reach. 

Louis didn’t move away either. “Are you sure?” There was no sign of anger of disgust in his tone at all, only pure empathy and worry. Harry found this strange since he had assumed that Louis would be angry towards him or disgusted after the night before. 

“I said I’m fine, Louis,” Harry answered coolly, pulling out his work for the class and setting it up at his table. 

He honestly didn’t mean to sound so harsh towards Louis, especially since he had been nothing but nice to him, but he couldn’t help the rude tone from escaping. He wasn’t mad at the other boy, he was just mad at Liam and that was affecting his overall mood. 

Louis however, didn’t seem to realize. “Are you mad at me?” he asked, his eyes widening. “Was it about last night? I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Harry asked, turning around and furrowing his brow in confusion. He quickly shook his head. “No, Louis, I’m not mad at you. Not at all.”

Louis blinked at him in surprise. “You’re not?”

“No, of course not! You haven’t been anything but great,” the teen assured him quickly. “I promise, it’s not you. I’m just…”

“Angry at everything today?” supplied Louis helpfully. Harry paused for a moment, before nodding his head slowly. 

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Besides, if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. Because I am really, really sorry about last night. What Liam said…”

“Was not your fault,” Louis interrupted, cutting him off quickly. “None of that was your fault, Haz. It was all Liam’s fault, and none of what he said was true. He was just angry and probably didn’t mean those things- and even if he did, that’s just messed up.”

Harry nodded, taking a hand and running it through his messy hair. He let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. He really needed to hear that from Louis. “Thanks,” Harry said. “And just to make sure, none of what he said was true?”

Louis shook his head earnestly. “None of it,” he affirmed. 

“So I’m not a slut?” Harry asked softly. He felt Louis’ hand go rigid from where it was still resting on the small of his back and he heard the other boy take in a sharp inhale from the word. 

“No,” Louis stated forcefully. “None of what he said was true. None of it.”

Harry hummed in response, letting it all sink in. He realized that he had really needed someone other than Niall to tell him that, and having Louis say it made him feel the smallest bit better about the whole situation. 

“Thanks, Lou,” Harry said softly. “Really, thanks for being a really good friend.”

“Of course,” Louis responded, finally letting his hand fall away from Harry’s back. He cleared his throat awkwardly, before scratching the back of his neck. “Actually, there’s something that I have to tell you-”

“Mr Styles?” A voice said from the doorway. They both looked up in surprise to see the Vice Principal, Mr Webber, standing there. He was a tall man, with a short beard and dark skin. He had a grim expression on his face, and was tapping his foot nervously against the tiled floor. “Is Mr Styles in this class?”

Mrs Burton walked over to him, looking confused. “What is it, Mr Webber?” she asked, moving towards him. Mr Webber leaned in close, saying something quietly that no one else could hear. Harry strained his ears to hear what they were saying, but he couldn’t.

After a few moments, Mrs Burton nodded. “Harry, Mr Webber needs to see you in his office right now,” she said in a tone that Harry definitely didn’t like. They were speaking grimly, and he couldn’t help but rack his mind for what could have caused it. 

“Ooh, you’re in trouble!” Louis sang quietly, any sign of the previous grim-ness gone from his tone. Instead, he was just smiling up at his friend.

Harry hit him lightly on the arm, rolling his eyes as a smile slowly appeared on his own features. “Me? In trouble? In your dreams,” he said, standing up from his desk. “But first, what were you going to say?”

Louis just waved his arm. “I’ll tell you later,” he mumbled quietly, causing Harry to frown. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, lowering his voice. “It sounded kinda important.”

Louis nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said easily, waving him off. “I’ll tell you later.”

Harry bit his lip, unsure. Whatever Louis had on his mind seemed to be important, but he also couldn’t keep Mr Webber waiting in the hall. “Ok, then,” Harry said. “Tell me when I come back from Mr Webber’s office.”

“Yeah, sure,” Louis mumbled, looking down at his hands. 

So with a final glance back at the other teen, Harry walked out into the hall. Mr Webber was standing there, waiting patiently. When Harry walked out of the classroom, he looked up at him. 

His expression was just as grim as it had been in the classroom, but he looked even more anxious from close up. His forehead was wrinkled and his brows were drawn into the middle of his forehead. 

“Mr Styles, would you step into my office for a minute?” he asked, leading them down the short distance from the classroom to his office. 

Harry was confused. “Uh, yeah, sure,” he said, walking into the office. 

Mr Webber went and sat down in his big, red chair behind his desk. He then gestured for Harry to also sit down in one of the chairs in front of him. Harry sat down, slowly sinking into the chair as he studied the vice principal in front of him.   
“Harry,” started the man, swallowing thickly. “Sorry for interrupting your class, but there’s something important that we needed to tell you.”

“Oh, it’s alright,” Harry said earnestly, looking at him with wide eyes. “What is it?”

The vice principal took a deep breath. 

“Today at 8 am this morning, we got a call from Holmes Chapel General Hospital. There was an accident on the freeway, where a drunk driver caused a three way pile up. Your sister, Gemma was in one of the cars that was involved in the accident.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, cliffhangerrrr!!!
> 
> What’s gonna happen? What did Louis want to say? Is Gemma going to be alright?


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
> 
> That’s all I had to say. Enjoy the story :)

Harry’s world seemed to come crashing down. His hands were gripping the chair tightly, as they were the only thing keeping him grounded. He could barely breathe, and his face was becoming paler and paler by the second. “Oh, god,” he choked out. 

Mr Webber sensed his distress, and quickly started talking again. “She’s fine,” he assured the distraught boy. “Two people in the other car died, and the other suffered from major internal injuries, but your sister is fine. She has a few snapped ribs, a concussion, a sprained ankle, a broken arm and only a few minor cases of internal bleeding. But she’s in the hospital right now receiving medical care. She’s going to be fine.”

Despite the fact that Gemma was fine, Harry still couldn’t breathe. Two people died, one was dying right now. But Gemma was fine, she was going to live. But she had been so close to being fatally hit. She had been so close. 

Harry felt a heavy hand landing on his shoulder, and he realized that he was squeezing his eyes closed. The hand forced him to open them, looking wide into Mr Webber’s dark brown eyes.  


“It’s alright Harry, she’s fine. Your mother is there now, and everything will be ok,” he said, much more slow and calm this time. 

  
“Y-yeah,” Harry choked, nodding a little. ‘ _ Gemma’s fine, she’s going to be fine. She didn’t die, and she’s safe in the hospital. She’s fine, she’s safe, she didn’t die. Gemma’s going to be alright, she’s not dying, she didn’t die.’ _ His mind thought frantically. 

But she had almost died. A drunk driver had hit her and another car while driving fast on the freeway. She could very easily have died from that accident. Two other people had died, and one of them could have been Gemma. She had been so close,  _ so close,  _ to being smashed to pieces. And now she was in the hospital. 

It must have been terrifying. The squeal of the tires, the jerk of the brake, the screams of terror, the smashing sound of the metal, the burning smell coming from the broken engines, the broken glass smashed along the road, the ice cold feeling of death, the fear in their eyes. Harry hadn’t been there, but he could practically feel it happening all over again. 

  
“Harry,” Mr Webber’s deep voice said, snapping him out of his trance. “She’s alright. Your sister is going to be fine. She didn’t even lose consciousness during the whole thing. Harry, can you hear me?”

Harry nodded, struggling to breathe. “Y-yeah,” he gasped. “I have to go, I have to go see her now.”

He tried to stand, but Mr Webber kept him seated in his chair. Harry tried to break free from his grip, but he could hardly think, let alone try and escape. 

“Harry, you can’t do anything right now,” he said. “Your sister is getting the best medical help, and you won’t be able to do anything. You’re in no state to travel right now, so just calm down.”

  
“I have to-” Harry muttered, his eyes wide and desperate. “I can’t just- I need to go-”

  
“I know, Harry,” he said, keeping the distraught teen in the chair. “But you can’t do anything today, not when you’re like this. Mr Horan is already on his way down here, and he’s going to take you up to your dorm so that you can take the rest of the day off.”

Harry couldn’t think, but he thought he could feel himself nodding. He was numb, like he couldn’t comprehend anything anymore. He was in shock, as his eyes burned. He willed himself not to break- not until he could get back to his dorm.

A few long minutes passed, before the door was thrown open. Niall was standing there, slightly out of breath and looking around the room wildly. His eyes fell on Harry, and he ran forward, enveloping the teen into a tight hug. 

“Are you okay?” he whispered into Harry’s ear, holding him tightly. Harry just shook his head numbly, letting himself go limp in his best friend’s hold. Niall stood, lifting him to his feet. Harry was unsteady on his own legs, but his friend kept a firm hold on him, keeping him upright. “Let’s get you home, yeah?”

Harry nodded numbly, and felt himself being led to the door of the office. He was practically being carried out, since his friend was supporting most of his weight already. He heard Niall open the big brown doors and walk them out of the room. 

Thankfully, everyone was still in their classes, which meant that there wasn’t anyone in the hallways to see Niall and Harry make their way out of the office. Harry assumed that he looked horrible, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He didn’t care what anyone else thought of him at that moment, he didn’t care about anything else. 

Eventually, the pair of them had slowly made their way out of the school and across the school yard. They soon arrived at their dorm, where Niall pushed open their door and brought Harry straight over to the couch. Harry immediately fell onto it, his shaky legs not willing to support him any longer as he collapsed there. 

He heard Niall rummaging around for a few moments. He vaguely heard the door close, and his friend went into his bedroom. When Niall emerged from the room, he had one of Harry’s hoodies in his arms along with a blanket in hand. 

“Here, H, put this on,” Niall instructed. Harry nodded weakly, and slowly lifted his arms so that he could slip the hoodie onto his body. Niall helped him a little, and soon Harry felt the warm comfort of the clothing item as he wrapped him up. 

Once the hoodie was on, Niall settled himself on the couch as well. He saw his blond friend look at him with pitying eyes, before he murmured softly, “oh, Harry.”   
That was all it took for Harry to break. At first it started off with a single tear escaping from his eyes. It dripped down his cheek, and he didn’t even realize it was there until it fell onto his hand. Then came a second one, followed closely by a third. Then before he knew it, a steady stream of tears were slowly coursing down his face. 

Niall grabbed him, holding his best friend close. Harry was an emotional person, and this definitely was not the first time he had cried in front of Niall. Actually, he had cried so many times with his friends, but those times were usually because of a movie or something. Now he was actually crying, real tears. 

Harry buried his face into the crook of his friend’s neck, not caring that he was wetting his shirt and skin. He inhaled shakily from the comfort, leaning further into the hug as he cried softly. It wasn’t even a loud cry where he would usually sob loudly. This time, the tears were just dripping silently down his face as he broke on the inside. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered after a few long moments. He could feel his voice waver dangerously as he spoke, and even crack at the end. “I’m sorry, I’m overreacting. She’s fine, she’s going to be fine. I’m sorry.”

Niall just held him tighter. “Hush and stop apologizing,” he whispered soothingly into his ear, running a hand through his hair. “You’re not overreacting. It was a scary thing, and this is normal. Stop apologizing.”

Harry shook his head. “You cry when someone is dying, not when they’re hurt! Gemma is going to be fine, she’s not even hurt that badly. I shouldn’t be crying- I shouldn’t be skipping school. This is ridiculous…”

  
“Stop, Harry,” Niall said, squeezing him a little. “It’s okay to be scared when something like this happens. It’s okay to cry when something bad happens. And it’s okay to be weak when someone you love is hurt. It’s okay to cry.”

  
“I don’t wanna cry,” Harry murmured, pulling away from the hug. He then wiped his tears away with his hands, taking a deep breath. “I don’t want to cry.”

  
Niall bit his lip, looking at his friend in pity. “You can cry, Harry,” he assured his friend. But Harry just shook his head.  
  
“I know I  _ can  _ cry. But I don’t want to cry,” he stated, standing up. “I want to call my mum and my sister, and then I want to schedule a flight to go see them. I want to do something. I don’t want to cry.”

“You wanna call them now?” Niall asked, handing him his phone. Harry gave him a small, wobbly smile in thanks. He then dialed his mum’s number from memory, before pressing call and holding the phone up to his ear. 

The phone rang a total of three times before someone picked up. He heard Niall move to his own bedroom, giving him a little privacy. “Mum?” he asked, pressing the phone closer to his face. 

  
“ _ Harry, is that you?”  _ Anne’s voice asked, coming through the phone. It sounded weak and raspy from crying, but it also sounded strong and brave, as her voice usually did. Harry nearly started tearing up from the sound of it. 

“Yeah, it’s me mum,” Harry replied, his voice wavering. “I- uh- I heard what happened. Is she- is she okay? Are you okay?”

  
_ “She’s fine, Harry. I’m in the waiting area right now, but I promise that she’s fine,”  _ Anne assured him quickly.  _ “She’s awake and was asking about when you were going to call just a few minutes before I left.” _

“She was asking for me?” Harry asked, biting his lip. “And she’s going to be completely fine? There’s no- there’s no complications or anything, right?”

  
_ “No, no, she’s going to be fine. The doctors already took care of the small amount of bleeding, and she’s going to make a full recovery,”  _ his mother explained. 

Harry sank down onto the couch in relief. “Ok, thank goodness,” he muttered. Somehow, just hearing it come from his mother made the words really sink in that she was really going to be fine all the more believable. 

_ “Yeah,”  _ he heard his mother sigh. “ _ It’s a relief.” _

_  
_ “How’re you?” Harry asked suddenly, his tone turning worried. “How long have you been there? Have you slept? Have you eaten?”

He heard his mother let out a wet sounding laugh.  _ “I’m always the one who has to pester you about eating and sleeping,”  _ she mused out loud. “ _ And yes, I spent the night here, and I was just in the cafeteria getting food. Stop worrying about me.” _

“I can’t help it,” Harry protested, feeling slightly better. “Is Gem awake now? Can I talk to her?”

“ _ I think that she’s still awake and asking for you, here I’ll bring the phone to her right now,”  _ Anne said. He heard her already moving towards the room. 

Soon, he heard her arrive at the room. He heard quiet mumbling from behind the phone so that he couldn’t hear them, but he could hear the unmistakable sound of his sister’s voice. The phone was then passed over. 

“ _ Het lil bro!”  _ Gemma exclaimed. Her voice sounded weak and raspy, but just the sound of her voice made Harry smile and tears well up in his eyes. 

  
“Gem!” he practically sobbed, relief flooding through his voice. “How are you doing? Are you okay? What happened? How’s the pain? Are you okay?” Millions of questions were spilling out of his mouth faster than he could stop them. 

  
He heard his sister chuckle on the other end. “ _ Harry, I’m fine, slow down and take a breath _ ,” she said. “ _ I’m fine, just a little sore.” _   
“How are you fine!?” exclaimed Harry, hysteria creeping into his voice. “You were in a car crash, for crying out loud! Doesn’t the pain hurt you?”

  
_ “Relax, H,”  _ she said. “ _ I’m fine. They’ve got me cranked up on pain meds at the moment, but other than that I literally can’t feel anything. I’m fine.” _

“Are you sure?” Harry asked, his voice still shaking a little. “Or are you just lying to me because you don’t want me to worry.”

  
At this, Gemma laughed loudly on the other end. “ _ A little of both I suppose,”  _ she answered. “ _ But I’m fine, H. Really. Just bored, that’s all.” _

Harry nodded, gnawing on the inside of his mouth. “I’m buying a plane ticket,” he blurted out suddenly. “I can probably be out of here sometime this week. I can fly out to Holmes Chapel and be there by-”

  
_ “No, Harry. You’re not flying out here,”  _ Gemma interrupted him. 

Harry’s mouth went slack in surprise. “What!?” he exclaimed. “You just got in a car accident! How can you expect me to not fly out and see you! I’m coming over this week.”

  
_ “No you’re not, Harry,”  _ Anne’s voice said, coming through the phone. “ _ You’re in school, and you’re not going to miss a single day to fly out here.” _

_  
_ “Mum!” protested Harry. 

  
_ “She’s right, lil bro. I’m fine, and you being here isn’t going to make me better,”  _ Gemma said. “ _ You can come see me when there’s a break coming up.” _

Harry’s frown deepened. “I have to fly up. You got in a CAR ACCIDENT, Gem! You’re hurt and in the hospital! How could you expect me to stay here and not come see you?”

  
_ “You will see me, Harry,”  _ his sister assured him.  _ “When there’s a break, you can fly out here and visit me. But I’m fine, Harry, and definitely not hurt enough for you to skip school to see me. I’m hurt, not dying!” _

_  
_ “I have to come up!” Harry yelled. “I have to see you! You matter more to me than this school does!”

_ “Harry, darling, you can’t come up yet and that’s final,”  _ Anne said, her tone becoming more stern. “ _ You can come up when there’s a break. Just stay at school and focus on learning things. That school is much too expensive for you to be skipping.” _

_  
_ “But mum-!” Harry started to whine. 

  
_ “I’m fine, Harry. I really am,”  _ his sister said. “ _ You’ll come see me when there’s a break, and until then, we can call each other on the phone everyday. I probably won’t be in the hospital for too long, and then we can have more fun when you do come.” _

_  
_ Harry huffed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t like this situation at all, but he knew better than to cross the Styles women. “Promise?” he asked. 

_ “I promise,”  _ Gemma replied. “ _ Listen, the doctor is coming in now, so I gotta go.” _

_  
_ “Call me later?” Harry hesitated. 

  
_ “Always. Love you so much, Harry,”  _ she said. 

  
“Love you too, Gem,” Harry answered. He waited until his sister hung up the phone, before placing his phone back onto the coffee table with a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair again, before leaning back into the cushions. 

Pretty soon, Niall emerged from the bedroom after sensing that the call was over. He didn’t say anything, probably already heard the entire conversation. Instead, he just walked over to his friend and shimmied behind Harry. 

Harry leaned back into the touch, feeling Niall’s arms wrap around his slim body. The hug from the back was comforting, and it nearly made Harry purr in contentement. “Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and see what we find?”

Harry nodded silently, pulling the blanket around them. He then snuggled into his friend’s side as they turned a movie on. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, everyone!! You are so amazing and supportive, it’s mind blowing!!

The morning passed by fairly smoothly. Harry didn’t have any classes with anyone he knew particularly well. He didn’t have any classes with Niall, Zayn or Louis, which he was both grateful and unhappy about. 

Usually he hated being in the class by himself, but now he was kind of enjoying the peace of not having to talk to anyone.   
He had one class with Perrie, which was good. 

She apparently hadn’t heard anything about him leaving school earlier the day before, so he didn’t have to talk about it. Instead, they were working on a photography collage, which was good. He enjoyed spending time with Perrie, especially since she was almost always preoccupied with Eleanor Calder nowadays.

On the flip side, Harry did have one class with both Liam and Nick Griffin. They sat in the back of the classroom, whispering towards each other so that no one else could hear them. 

But everyone could hear their loud and obnoxious laughter every few minutes. Once, Harry even spun around to glare at them, though he wished he hadn’t. Liam was sitting, glaring right back at him while Nick had his eyes trained shamelessly on his butt. 

By the time lunch rolled around, Harry was more than happy to rush to the cafeteria. He skipped going to his locker, deciding he was still full from breakfast and wasn’t hungry enough for lunch and was just anxious to get to the cafeteria. He hurried down the hallways, before walking into the large room that was crowded with everyone at the school. 

Harry walked over to his usual table. Niall and Ed seemed to be the only ones who were there that day, sitting and talking with each other. Zayn seemed to not be there yet, probably running late and talking with Perrie. Louis also wasn’t there, most likely at the footie table. 

“Hey, Harry,” Ed greeted softly, giving his friend a small smile. 

Harry hated the pitying look, but managed to smile back, sliding into his usual seat. “Hey guys,” he said. “How’s it going?”

Ed shrugged. “It could be better,” he replied simply. “I’ve been working on a new song. I can play it for you on Thursday if you think you’d be up for it?”

Harry nodded. “Sure, I’d love to hear it. And why wouldn’t I be up for it?”

“Well, you know. The thing with your sister…” Ed answered, looking down guiltily. 

Harry frowned. “How do you know about what happened to my sister?” he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. He looked over to Niall, who shook his head, signalling that he hadn’t told anyone. 

“Well, erm,” Ed stammered. But before he got the chance to answer, Zayn appeared out of nowhere.

“Hey guys,” he greeted, before turning and giving Harry a soft smile as he sat down. “Hey Harry, how’re you doing? How’s your sister?”

“How does everyone know about my sister?” Harry snapped, glaring. “Who knows?”

Ed and Zayn both exchanged glances. “Well, like I was trying to say before Zayn got here,” Ed started, looking awkward. “Don’t get mad. But, erm, the whole school kinda knows…”

Harry’s mouth fell open. “How does the whole school know!?” he yelled, running his hand through his hair in anger. “Who told them? How did they find out?”

“We don’t know,” Zayn said. “I heard it from Liam yesterday…”

“How does Liam know!?” His yell caused a few people around them to look over, before whispering amongst each other. “And how do these people know. They don’t even know who I am!”

“Why wouldn’t they know who you are?” Zayn asked, furrowing his brow.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Uh, because I’m not popular or on the footie team. Literally nobody knows who I am, but I don’t expect you to understand that, seeing as your one of the most popular guys here.”

“Um, Harry,” Ed mumbled. “Everyone here knows who you are.”

“What?” Harry asked, completely confused. “How?” 

Again, the boys exchanged glances which only made Harry angrier. “Well, you’re friends with Louis now, and he’s kinda the whole gossip of the school everyday, all day,” Niall explained. “So now that you've been hanging around with him, you’ve kinda gotten a bit of an… image…”

“An image?” repeated Harry. “You guys aren’t making any sense-”

“People think you and Louis are hooking up,” Ed interrupted bluntly. “Well, they think you’re… um… they think you’re trying to hook up with him…”

“WHAT!?” Harry yelped, his jaw dropped. His head whipped around to see that no one could hear him, before lowering his voice. “What do you mean? They think I’m trying to hook up with Louis?”

The other boys looked a little sheepish. “Well, yeah…” Zayn mumbled. “But don’t worry, there’s always rumors about Louis having all kinds of hookups and one night stands. There’s practically a new scandal every week involving him.”

Harry groaned, burying his face into his hands. “Could this day get any worse?” he groaned. 

“But there’s something else,” added Ed, earning a glare from the other boys. He ignored them, continuing. “We’re pretty sure that Alec and his gang started the rumors, which means that he had to get this information from someone. And we think it might have possibly been…”

“Liam!” Harry exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. “Liam’s been telling everyone that I’ve been trying to hook up with Louis! I’m going to kill him!”

Harry made a move to stand up, when three pairs of hands grabbed him. His friends forced him back into his seat, having to physically push him to sit down. 

“Not here,” Zayn hissed. “There’s now a strict no-fighting policy here. You can’t try anything in the cafeteria anymore.”

“He’s been starting rumors about me,” Harry whined, straining against their grip.  
“Please let me go punch him? Please?”

“No Harry, don’t. You’d get in trouble and maybe expelled,” Ed added. “Just… don’t. Not here. He’s a pile of scum and we aren’t going to pay him any mind. He’s angry, and ignoring him is the best thing we can do.”

Harry whined again, before slouching in his seat. “Fine,” he grumbled, finally giving in. “But only because I’m too tired to get in a fight today. But I don’t forgive him and I’m not going to forget this.”

Zayn was right next to him, and patted him on the shoulder in sympathy. “You don’t have to forgive him. Just don’t let him get to you.”

“Easier said than done,” Harry muttered. “He literally told everyone I was… wait. Does Louis know about it?” He added this with a tone of urgency in his voice, the blood starting to drain from his face. 

If Louis heard these rumors, he might be angry at Harry. He might not want to be friends anymore, and certainly would never want to be more than that. 

“Do I know about what?” Louis asked, coming and sitting beside Niall. Harry jumped in surprise, averting his eyes to avoid making eye contact with the other boy. 

“Nothing,” answered Zayn quickly, which Harry was very grateful for. He would have to make sure he thanked the other teen when no one else was around, and probably bake him a batch of cookies or something.

Louis paused, before nodding. He didn’t look convinced, but soon dropped the subject. “So, how’s it going with everyone today?”

“Are you going to ask me about my sister?” Harry asked, cutting everyone off before they could answer the teen. 

“Do you want me to ask you about your sister?” asked Louis. “Because I want to know, but I figured you wouldn’t want to talk about it over and over again.”

“No, don’t ask me about it,” Harry said quickly, relief flooding him now that he wasn’t being forced to talk about the one thing he didn’t want to talk about. “I’d rather talk about something else, anything else.”

“Well,” Louis started, frowning in thought. When he was thinking, his brow would sometimes furrow in the middle. It was adorable, in Harry’s opinion, not that he’d ever say so of course. “There’s a footie game coming up this week!”

“Oh yeah!” Niall exclaimed, a smile appearing on his face. “I nearly forgot about that!”

Zayn and Louis both looked at him unimpressed. “You nearly forgot about the footie game that we’ve been practising everyday for for the past few weeks?” Zayn deadpanned, raising his eyebrows at the other teen. 

“Yup, it happens sometimes,” he said with a shrug. “I hardly remember anything. That’s why I’ve got Harry!” The blond boy threw his arms around Harry, causing him to roll his eyes. 

“You’re going to fail the exams this year,” Harry warned, “because I won’t be there to answer them for you.”

Niall waved him off. “Well then it’s a good thing that I don’t have to worry about that for many, many months!”

“Yeah, whatever,” Harry replied. He then turned back to his other friends. “So the game is this week. Is everyone on the team ready?”

Louis nodded proudly. “Yep!” he said happily. “We’ve been training pretty hard for the past few weeks, so we’d be ready for any team. Besides, we’re going up against Hillview High- they’re practically the worst team in the league!”

“Don’t be mean,” Harry noted softly, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. Louis just seemed so beautiful when he was like this, with his bright blue eyes lighting up in excitement. The sight of it made it impossible for him not to smile. 

“It’s true, though,” Zayn mumbled, biting into his lunch. “They’re really bad.”

“It’ll be an easy win,” Niall added. “We’re going to crush them this week!”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Ok then,” he said. “I believe you. Plus, you’d probably win anyway.”

“Not probably, Haz. Definitely,” Louis claimed, smugly. “We’re the best in the league this year. We’d win against any team! We might even win the championship this year! Just you watch, young Harold, we’re going to crush them!”

“Alright then,” Harry smiled. “I can’t wait to watch as you ‘crush’ them.”

“You better be cheering me on,” Louis said with a wink. It was small and flirty, and the gesture caused Harry’s heart to flutter in his chest as his stomach did a few flip flops. 

But instead of letting on how much the wink affected him, he just shrugged. “Cheer you on?” he repeated thoughtfully. “Nah. I think I’ll be cheering Zayn on.” At that, he swung his arm over Zayn’s shoulders. The dark haired boy immediately copied the gesture. 

Louis’ eyes went wide, before narrowing playfully. “I’m hurt, Hazza!” he exclaimed, placing his hands over the spot over his heart. “You wound me!”

“What am I, chopped liver!?” Niall pouted. 

Harry paused for a moment, before nodding. “Yeah, that sounds about right!”

“Louis, I feel like we’re not being properly respected here!” The blond boy claimed, trying his best to look offended. Louis, for his part, also had on a fake hurt expression. 

“I wholeheartedly agree, Niall!” Louis exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest. “We don’t have to stick around if they’re going to treat us like this! Let’s go somewhere where we’ll be treated much better!”

The two of them stood to leave, and Harry laughed loudly. He reached out, his hand latching onto the front of Louis’ shirt. “No! Please don’t leave!” He laughed. 

Louis turned around, a bright smile playing at his lips. He was standing less than a foot away, looking down at the boy. “Oh yeah?” he asked playfully. “You want me to stay here?”

Harry nodded, not letting go of his clenched hand around the fabric. “Yeah,” he said. 

Louis stepped closer so that he was nearly touching Harry. “Can you ask nicely?” he teased. “Be a good boy and use your manners, Harry.”

“Please stay?” Harry pleaded. “Please don’t leave?”

Louis stayed standing for another moment, looking down at Harry with a smile still painted onto his features. “Well,” he dawled, his voice causing Harry’s heart to hammer against the inside of his ribcage loudly. “Only since you asked so nicely.”

Louis came over and sat down right next to Harry, squeezing in between him and Zayn. Harry had to bite his lip to keep his face from breaking out into an even bigger smile. He cast a glance up towards Niall, who was looking at him with raised eyebrows. 

“Well, if you two lovebirds don’t mind, I’ll just sit here too,” he muttered, moving to sit back in his spot from before. “Unless you’re going to keep flirting, then I’m going to leave before I throw up.”

Harry blushed bright red at the comment, ducking his down to try and hide his embarrassment. Louis on the other hand, just laughed lightly. 

“‘S not like I can help it,” Louis replied cheekily. “Not when Harry keeps blushing the way he is.”

“I’m not blushing!” Harry exclaimed indignantly, his face still bright red. 

Louis just scrunched his nose at him, patting him on his flaming hot cheek. “Sure, love,” he replied easily. “Just keep telling yourself that.”

“I’m not blushing,” Harry denied. 

“Yes you are.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are.”

“Crap.”

“Don’t worry,” Louis said easily. He leaned in a little closer, smiling teasingly. “You look cute when you’re blushing.”

Niall groaned, cutting Harry off before he could say anything. “Ugh, that’s it. I’m throwing up.”

Everyone laughed together. Harry already felt better.

***

The four boys were on their way back to Princess Park, walking together. Niall and Zayn especially seemed to hit it off- that or they were just purposely trying to leave Harry and Louis walking alone together. 

Either way, the two of them seemed to skip off rather quickly, leaving the two other boys to walk home together. 

“So, I didn’t really ask earlier because you seemed a little agitated,” Louis started, casting glances at Harry out of the corner of his eye. “But how is your sister?”

Harry sighed, knowing it was coming anyway. “She’s fine,” he mumbled, kicking a stray rock with his foot. “She’s gonna be in the hospital for a little while, but she’s okay.”

“That’s good,” Louis said softly. He hummed a little, both of them falling into silence for a few moments. “And, uh, how are you holding up?”

Harry looked at him in surprise, not expecting that at all. Sure, Louis was probably wondering how his sister was because they were friends and she was in an accident, but only Niall had really asked him how he’d been, and that was only because he had seen him crying. 

He cleared his throat. “I’m fine,” he answered shortly. “I mean, I wasn’t the one in an accident or anything. I have to reason not to be fine.”

“She’s your sister and she’s hurt. It’s okay not to be fine,” Louis said quietly. Harry inhaled sharply at that, and the other boy seemed to realize that he might have overstepped. “Sorry, I’m sure you’re right. You probably are fine. Sorry.” He added hastily.

Harry exhaled again, slowly this time and continued walking. “No, it’s fine,” he mumbled. “But I really am fine. It just hasn’t been a great few days in general, and this was just sorta the tip of the iceberg.”

Louis hummed in acknowledgement. “That’s understandable,” he said. His tone then suddenly dropped, and he shuffled his feet. “So, about earlier…”

“What happened earlier?” Harry interrupted, furrowing his brow. Nothing exciting had really happened that day, and he tried to think back to what had happened that day. Certainly nothing between the two of them. 

“I mean yesterday,” Louis mumbled. “You know what, it’s stupid. Never mind.”

He picked up the pace a little, but Harry reached out and stopped him. “It’s not stupid. I mean, I don’t know what it is yet, but it’s probably not stupid. Come on, you can tell me. We are friends after all.”

He expected this to make Louis happier, but instead he just smiled sadly. “Right, friends…” he said offhandedly, his mind elsewhere. He then shook his head suddenly, bringing himself back. “I was talking about yesterday. When we were in english at the start of the day, before you left.”

Harry bit his lip. “Sorry, Louis,” he said. “I don’t really remember much from yesterday other than- you know…”

“No, it’s fine,” Louis said, waving his hand. “It really doesn’t matter. It wasn’t that important anyways, definitely not something you’d remember. Just forget I mentioned it.”

“Well now I have to know!” Harry exclaimed, patting his friend’s arm. “Come on, Lou! You can’t just not tell me now! Please?”

Louis smiled softly at him for a long moment. “It wasn’t important,” he repeated. “I was just going to tell you something before you left…”

“Oh, that’s right!” Harry said, suddenly remembering the conversation that he and Louis had had right before he was called to the office. “I remember now! So, what was it?”

Louis looked at the ground, looking sheepish. “Well…” he started, opening his mouth. 

“HEY FAG!” A voice shouted, completely cutting him off. Both of the boys’ heads whipped around into the direction of the voice, seeing none other than Alec Henderson marching towards them. He was flanked by Nick, Liam and a few other guys that Harry didn’t know the names of.

Harry grimaced at the name, turning around. He quickly grabbed Louis’ sleeve, tugging at it. “Come on,” he mumbled, looking at the ground. “Let’s go.”

“Did they just call you a...?” Louis demanded, his soft expression completely gone from his features and replaced with an angry one. Harry didn’t answer his question, and instead started pulling him in the opposite direction. 

They had only gone a few steps when the voice rang out again. “FAG!” Alec shouted, his harsh tone causing Harry to wince and curl in on himself a little. “Where are you going?! Didn’t you hear me calling your name!?”

Harry didn’t reply and he didn’t turn around. He didn’t have to though, because a moment later, Alec and his cronies were standing right in front of them, blocking their path to Princess Park. 

“Hey! Answer me when I’m talking to you!” Alec snarled, placing a hand against Harry’s shoulder and giving it a shove. The teen stumbled back a little, but quickly caught his footing.

Louis noticed this, and looked at Alec with red, burning eyes. “Don’t touch him!” he growled, stepping forward a little so that he was nearly chest to chest with the bully. His tone was terrifyingly dark and angered, completely different than his usual soft and teasing voice. 

Alec seemed taken aback by this, but quickly masked it with a scowl. “I can touch whoever the hell I want, Tomlinson,” he spat, his lips curling up at the name. “Now back off and leave me and the freak alone!”

“No,” seethed Louis, narrowing his eyes and standing up straighter. The tension in the group had escalated very quickly, and now everyone was glaring at Louis and Harry. 

Harry quickly stepped forward, touching his arm lightly to Louis’ arm. “Come on, Lou,” he murmured quietly to him. “Let’s just go. They’re not worth it.” 

He grabbed Louis’ sleeve again and gave it another small tug in the other direction. When Louis didn’t budge, he whispered again, “please, Louis.”

“What? Are you running away again, Harry?” Snarled Liam, his lip curling up in a way to mimic Alec’s. Harry looked over at him in shock, his eyes going wide first before narrowing into slits. Liam noticed this and scoffed. “Coward.”

Harry’s breath had quickened, and now he was the one frozen to the spot. He could feel Louis tensing up beside him, but he didn’t do anything to stop it this time. They were both getting very angry very quickly, and nothing good was about to come from it. 

“Go to hell, Liam,” Harry snapped, the words coming out of his mouth in a tone he hadn’t used before. It was venomous, dripping with loathe and hate. He turned again, ready to practically drag Louis away. 

The tone seemed to take Liam by surprise, but he quickly masked it. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and scowled at the other teen. “Really Harry? ‘Go to hell’ is the best you can come up with? You really are as pathetic and worthless as everyone says you are.” He sneered. 

“Hmm, I don’t know if he’s completely worthless,” a new voice dawled. They looked over to see Nick standing in the group, his eyes slowly raking over Harry’s body with a smirk on his face. “I can think of quite a few things that I could use him for.”

Harry swallowed thickly, feeling suddenly nauseous. His hand gripped Louis’ sleeve even tighter, feeling the teen trembling in rage. The feeling of it brought Harry back to his senses. He quickly grabbed Louis’ clenched fists in his hands and started to try and pull him away. 

“Louis, come on. Leave them,” he said. Finally, he managed to get the other teen to move and take a few steps away. 

“Run away, Harry!” one of the cronies shouted from the group. “You really are nothing but a pathetic coward! Run away from this like you do to everything!”

“Not hiding behind Niall anymore, are you?” Liam sneered. “Now you have to hide behind Tomlinson because you can’t stand up for yourself! Pathetic!”

“You need Tomlinson to protect you, don’t you Harry?” Another shouted at them. “But he won’t be around to protect you for much longer! Sooner or later he’s going to realize how weak and worthless you really are!”

“You’re a slut! A trashy boy-toy!” Nick taunted. “But I’d let you be one for me. I could bend you backwards until you cried, then I’d have you on your hands and knees begging for my-”

Before he could finish, Louis spun around on his heel, his arm ripped from Harry’s grasp. He lunged at Nick, who’s eyes widened in surprise. Before anyone knew what was happening, both boys were on the ground, limbs flying everywhere as they rolled around. 

“LOUIS!” Harry yelled, rushing over to them. They were both on the ground, nailing punches and blows at one another relentlessly. 

Alec and Liam just stood back and watched with wide eyes, while the other cronies were egging them on. 

“Louis! Stop!” Harry begged, running over and trying to pull them apart. He was roughly shoved to the ground in the process, hitting the cement ground with an ‘Oof!’

He sat up, dazed and sore, his eyes shooting over to the two teens. He watched as Louis managed to get on top of Nick, and was now punching him in the face several times. They were both bruised and bloody, but also had fire burning in their eyes. 

Harry ran over, trying to pull Louis off of Alec. “Louis! Stop it, Louis!” he exclaimed, trying to stop his friend. 

He gasped when a fist collided with his cheek, pain erupting from that region. He stumbled back, but wasn’t quick enough to catch his footing again as he fell to the ground for the second time. 

It took Louis three whole seconds to realize what he had done. His eyes were impossibly wide. 

“Oh my god, Harry!” he exclaimed, jumping from Nick and rushing over to Harry. The curly haired boy was still blinking in surprise, one hand holding onto his now bright red cheek. “Oh my god! I’m so sorry, Harry!”

“Let’s get out of here,” one of the cronies muttered, as they slowly dissipated. 

Harry blinked again, his mind trying to register what just happened. He felt Louis grab him by the arm and pull him to his feet, before he was being inspected. He felt someone cup his face, and he winced.

“Oh, shit! Sorry, sorry!” Louis muttered, quickly withdrawing his hand. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, Harry! I didn’t realize that you were… shit…”

Harry’s eyes slowly started to focus, and he looked up at Louis. “Are you okay?” he asked, instantly worried. His eyes scanned Louis’ face, and he spotted blood dripped from his lip. “Louis! You’re bleeding!”

“What?” Louis asked, offhandedly. He brought a hand up to his mouth, wiping away a drop of blood with his thumb. “Oh, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter. But I punched you, Harry. I’m so sorry. Here, let me look-”

Harry ducked down before his hand could inspect his cheek again. “I’m fine, Louis,” he said. “You’re the one that’s injured. Now, let me see what happened to your face- it looks bad.”

“It’s blood, it happens a lot in footie,” Louis stated, his face creased in worry. “I literally punched you in the face, let me have a look.”

“Exactly, I got punched. I didn’t get beat up,” Harry responded. “You’re much worse than me, so leave me alone and come on. We’re going back to the dorm to take care of your face.”

But Louis didn’t move. “Let me look at your face, Harry,” he stated, it wasn’t even a question. “I need to make sure I didn’t bruise or break anything. It was a hard punch.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” scoffed Harry, rolling his eyes. “I’m fine. Now come on, we’re going to clean up your face. Then- and only then- will I let you look at my face. Deal?”

Louis didn’t reply, but he let himself be dragged away by Harry. The two of them walked away as quickly as possible, shuffling towards Princess Park. Between the two of them, they probably looked pretty beat up, with Harry’s swollen cheek and Louis’ bloody face. 

Harry led them straight to his and Niall’s dorm because it was closer and he wanted to fix Louis up as quickly as possible. He pushed open the door, before shoving the other boy inside before he could object. 

“Harry?” Niall’s voice called from the living room. He and Zayn were sitting there together, watching some random show on the TV. They looked up in surprise when they saw the two other boys walk in, before their eyes were wide. “Shit, Harry!” He cursed, jumping up. 

“What happened?” Zayn demanded, walking over to them and assessing Louis’ injuries with scrutiny. “Why are you both hurt? What happened?”

Harry just waved them off, pushing through the two worried friends and going to the cupboard in the kitchen. He rummaged around it a little, before grabbing a mini first aid kit. 

Louis just looked at him with a deadpan. “Really? A first aid kit?”

“Sit,” Harry instructed, grabbing a stool from the kitchen counter. 

“Haz, it’s a small cut…”

“Sit,”

“Harry,”

“Louis. Sit.”

Louis huffed, rolling his eyes a little. But nonetheless, he walked over and slumped down onto the stool, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“It’s not bad, Harry. Just leave it alone,” he protested quietly. 

But Harry either didn’t hear him or just decided to ignore him, because he just continued his work thoughtfully. His brows were creased in the middle of his forehead, and he was biting his lip a little in concentration. 

His nimble fingers brushed over Louis’ split lip, and they both inhaled. For a short moment, they were both frozen and staring at each other with wide eyes. 

Finally, Harry swallowed thickly, and averted his gaze. “Sorry,” he whispered quickly.

“It’s fine,” Louis mumbled, looking downwards as well. “It just… surprised me…”

Harry nodded silently, and finished up. He took a small step backwards and checked over Louis’ face once more for any other injuries. 

When he didn’t find any, he just nodded to himself. “There,” he said. “All done.”

“Thanks,” Louis said, standing up. “Now you gotta hold up your end of the deal.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Louis, I don’t need-”

“Oh hush and let me look,” Louis interrupted, walking over to him. He touched Harry’s face lightly, shifting it to the side so that he could get a better look at his cheek. It was bright red and swollen, and it even had some purple bruising that was starting to form. 

Louis touched the injury gingerly, and Harry hissed. 

“Sorry,” Louis murmured, but he didn’t withdraw his hands. He prodded it a little more but it was very gentle, his finger ghosting over the skin. “I think it’s going to be fine. Sorry about that.”

“You didn’t mean to,” Harry mumbled softly, his eyes training on the ground. 

“But I punched you,” Louis protested, frowning. 

“You punched him!?” Niall yelled, his eyes going wide. 

But he wasn’t the only one. Zayn’s mouth dropped open, and he was looking at the teen with disbelieving eyes. 

“Louis!” He shouted, his eyes just as wide as Niall’s. 

Louis looked down sheepishly, biting his bottom lip. He looked extremely guilty, and it made Harry’s heart wrench. He looked back at their other two friends and shook his head vigorously.

“No, it wasn’t like that!” He exclaimed defensively. “It was Alec and Liam and Nick who started the fight. Louis was just trying to help me!”

Niall’s face transformed from shocked to venomous very quickly. “Alec and Nick and Liam?” he repeated, narrowing his eyes into slits. “”What did they do? Did they hurt you?”

Harry shook his head again. “No, not exactly,” he replied, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “They were just saying some stuff. It doesn’t matter.”

“What kind of stuff?” Niall asked. 

Harry looked up at him briefly. “You know what kind of stuff,” he murmured quietly, diverting his gaze back down to the floor. 

Niall cursed under his breath, running a frustrated hand through his hair. 

But Zayn still looked confused. “But how did you get punched?” He asked. 

“I did it,” murmured Louis, his face still guilty. 

Harry shook his head again. “That was an accident,” he said for what felt like the millionth time since they got back. “You didn’t mean to. Besides, you were the one who was beating up Nick for me.”

“Nick Griffin?” Zayn interrupted, his eyes going wide. Both boys nodded grimly, and Zayn let out a long, angry sigh. “Well then I don’t blame you for getting in a fight with him. He’s a disgusting person.”

Harry nodded, thinking back to the interactions he had had so far with the jock. He winced at each one of them, biting down on the inside of his lip. Between the disgusting side comments and the crude sexual gestures, he was sickened by the thought of the other boy. 

“What did he say?” Zayn asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. 

Harry felt suddenly awkward, and he shuffled his feet together a little. “It was nothing,” he said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “He just… kinda called me a slut and a boy-toy and said he wanted to- never mind…”

His voice trailed off as he heard Nick’s voice in his head again. He couldn’t suppress his shudder as it ran up his spine. No one else said anything, all of them silently raging, completely knowing the type of things he had said to Harry, and were completely enraged and disgusted.

Louis was the first to speak. “I want him off the team,” he growled darkly. “I want him and Alec and all those other guys off the team.”

Harry frowned. “You can’t kick them off the team because they don’t like me,” he protested quietly, even though deep down he would want nothing more than to crush their footie teams. But it was unreasonable and wasn’t a good enough reason. 

“It’s not that they don’t like you. It’s because they’re dicks and I don’t like them,” Louis scowled. “I’m gonna talk to coach tomorrow at practise and see what I can do.”

Nobody said anything after that, just humming in recognition. They all knew that Louis’ words were futile, and neither of the boys were going to be kicked off the team for that reason, but they decided to let the words sink in, if only for a little while.

“Well, now that we’re all here, why don’t we watch a movie or something?” suggested Niall, speaking up. “We have Netflix and Disney Plus. What does everyone say?”

“I’d be down,” Zayn piped up. 

Harry nodded. “Sure,” he said, before looking at the other boy. “Louis?”

“Yeah, sure,” Louis agreed after a long moment. 

When that was settled, the four of them walked over to the couch and all flopped onto it, spreading out so that they were all lying around comfortably. Between all four teenage boys, they managed to take up most of the very large couch. 

Harry was squished in between Niall and Louis. He would have preferred to move closer to Louis and curl up into his side like they had previously done during the movie night just two nights ago. 

But Niall seemed overly protective, as he usually was after Harry got hurt or sick or something, and seemed to want him close. So instead he ended up cuddling up to Niall, his head resting comfortably on his best friend’s shoulder. 

“What movie are we watching?” Zayn asked, picking up the remote. “Also, are we watching Netflix or Disney Plus?”

“Disney,” Harry said immediately, before he quickly shut his mouth again. His cheeks became a little pink in embarrassment. “I mean- uh…”

“You wanna watch a Disney movie?” Louis asked, smiling and raising his eyebrows at the other boy in amusement. 

Harry’s face burned red as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously. “I mean, we don’t have to- I was just thinking…”

“Relax, a Disney movie sounds great,” Louis interrupted, smiling softly at the embarrassed teen. Harry couldn’t help the small smile that also formed on his own lips, his cheeks now red for another reason other than embarrassment. 

The guys decided on watching The Lion King. Niall clicked on the movie, before they all fell into silence. Harry could already feel himself getting more relaxed and comfortable by the time the intro started playing. 

He and the three other guys belted out the first few songs shamelessly, laughing together in good spirits. 

They had just gotten to the part where Simba was starting to grow up, when the front door of the dorm burst open. 

All four of them jumped, looking at the front door in surprise. Ed was standing there, his red hair sticking up in all directions and a frazzled look on his face. He was out of breath, and his face was a little red. 

“I heard that there was a fight! Are you okay, Harry?” He exclaimed in worry, his eyes shooting over to the other teen. 

Harry just blinked in surprise. “Ed?” he asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. “Umm… what are you doing here?”

“I just came by to make sure you were…” he started, before his voice died off. He looked from Harry, then over to Niall, then to Zayn, before his eyes finally landed on Louis. He then looked up to the movie screen, which was still softly playing the ‘Hakuna Matata’ in the background. “What are you guys doing?” he asked after a long moment. 

Harry’s face paled. He glanced quickly over to Niall, who had the same nervous expression on his face. “Eh, we’re just… it’s not what it looks like,” he explained hastily. 

“It’s not what it looks like?” repeated Ed skeptically as he swallowed thickly, his eyes still trained on the screen. “Because what it looks like is that you guys are having a movie night in your dorm without me. That’s what it looks like, Harry.”

“Ed…” Harry tried again. 

But the redhead just held his hands up to silence him. “You know what, I’m done here,” he said, turning around on his heel. “I’m done. I am so done with you, Harry.”

“Ed, come back. I’ll explain,” Harry said quickly, standing up from the couch and moving towards his friend. But Ed wasn’t even looking at him anymore, already at the door again. 

He turned around at those words, his eyes narrowing. “Explain? What are you going to explain?” he shot harshly. “What is there for you possibly to explain? You’re watching a movie- not just a movie, but my favourite movie without me!”

Harry bit his lip. “Ed, please don’t leave.”

“Well you clearly didn’t want me here anyway,” Ed snapped. He closed his eyes, taking a long, frustrated breath in through his nose. “You know what? I’m just going to go. I don’t need to stick around here anymore. You clearly don’t need me anymore. Have fun with your new friends.”

With that, he turned the front door handle, before marching out of the dorm. The front door slammed closed again, nearly hitting the curly haired boy in the face. Harry's stomach dropped and he felt his heart hammering against his chest. He hesitated for a moment, before flinging the door open again and running out into the hallway.

“Ed! Come back!” he shouted, looking down the hall desperately for his friend. But the redhead was nowhere to be found, as he had already left through the elevator. Harry’s heart sank even lower, as he stood helplessly in the hallway. 

Niall came rushing out of the dorm a moment later, cursing under his breath. He ran up to Harry, glancing down the hallways quickly. 

“He’s gone?” he asked. 

Harry nodded silently, swallowing thickly, causing Niall to swear again. First Liam and now Ed… he was losing more and more friends by the day. 

Now all he had left was Niall, Zayn and Louis- if he had them at all. He had just met Zayn and Louis, and wasn’t quite sure how far their friendship would extend. So really, Niall might be the last person he has left.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who’s been reading this! I love you all so much!!

It was two long, miserable days later and it was the day of the footie game. It was finally Friday, which meant that the game was going to be that night and the team was getting ready.

Harry was at his locker, grabbing things before the end of the school day, when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. 

He turned around in surprise, only to be greeted by two bright blue eyes. He instantly brightened, his face lifting into a smile. “Hey,” he said cheerfully. 

“Hey yourself,” Louis replied, leaning carelessly onto the locker next to his. He was dressed in a grey quarter sleeve shirt, jeans and a black vest. He looked as good as always, and the sight of him sent a fluttery feeling in Harry’s stomach. 

He tore his eyes away from where they had been staring at his clothes, forcing them to look back into Louis’ sparkling eyes. 

“So,” he said. “Any reason why you’re meeting me at my locker?”

Louis just shrugged. “Remember the first day of school when you hated me and wouldn’t let me walk you to your dorm?” He asked. 

Harry paused for a moment, before nodding. “Yeah,” he said, chuckling a little at the memory. “I remember.”

“Why wouldn’t you let me walk you?” Louis asked. 

Harry just shrugged. “I didn’t know you,” he said simply. “I thought you were cocky and pushy and were just shamelessly flirting.”

“To be fair, I was shamelessly flirting,” Louis pointed out, causing Harry’s cheeks to blush a little. 

“To be fair, you were also being cocky and pushy,” Harry countered, raising an eyebrow. Louis pouted at this, causing him to giggle. 

Giggle? Since when has Harry giggled? He really needed to get it together. “So,” he changed the subject. “Is there any reason you’re bringing this up again?”

Louis shrugged. “I was just wondering,” he said. 

“Mhmm,” Harry nodded, biting his lip. “You’re not bringing this up because you want to walk me home again, are you?”

“No, I have to get to footie practise now,” Louis answered, shaking his head and glancing down at his watch. “Actually, I should probably get going now. It starts in ten minutes and I’m not even ready yet.”

Harry nodded, feeling a little sad that he had to go so soon. “Ok then,” he said. “I was just going to head back to my dorm now anyway.”

“Actually, that’s kinda what I was coming here for,” Louis stated, scratching the back of his neck. 

‘He’s been doing that a lot lately,’ Harry thought. ‘Is it a nervous habit or something? No! No, it’s not a nervous habit! Why would he be nervous around me? He’s not, that’s just stupid. Ugh, I really need to get it together.’

“Yeah?” Harry prompted, shaking his thoughts away. 

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come by and watch the practise?” Louis asked. “You know, Zayn and Niall and I will be there for a couple of hours and I was just going to see if you’d want to come by and watch for a little while or something…”

Harry blinked at him in surprise. “You want me to come watch?” he repeated, still completely shocked. 

Louis nodded a little, but he looked more nervous now. “Yeah, uh, but you don’t have to,” he rushed out. “I know we just sorta started being friends and whatever and this might be a little bit weird, and I was just going to offer and see if you wanted to come. It’s totally fine if you don’t want to, it might be boring to you, I don’t know. It was just a thought, but I would totally understand if…”

“Louis,” Harry interrupted with a smile. “Shut up. I would love to come by.”

Louis blinked down at him, cutting him rambling off shortly. “You would?” he asked in surprise.

Harry nodded happily, his smile growing wider. “Yeah, I would,” he answered. “I just gotta grab some things first.”

“What kind of things?” Louis asked, peering into his locker. His eyes widened and he let out a low whistle. “Wow, Haz. You really keep things very clean in here,” he stated. 

Harry rolled his eyes. “Just because some people are disorganized, doesn’t mean I am,” he said. “I just have to bring my bag and that’s it…”

“I’ll bring it,” Louis chirped, reaching into the locker and grabbing Harry’s black backpack. He pulled it out of the locker, before slinging a strap over his shoulder lightly, before looking down at Harry with a smile. 

Harry bit back a small smile. “I can carry my own bag, Lou,” he said quietly, trying to hide the blush that was creeping onto his face. He could feel it heating up, and just prayed that no one would notice it. 

“I know,” Louis responded lightly, not taking the bag off his shoulder. “But I want to carry it. Consider this payback for not letting me walk you home on the first day of school.”

Harry couldn’t help the smile this time as it creeped onto his face. “Ok, then,” he said, trying to sound reluctant even though he was definitely enjoying it. “But only until we get to the field, then I have to carry my own things.”

“Alright, I can agree to that,” Louis replied. “Now, I have to get ready, which means that we have to go.” 

Harry nodded, following Louis as the two of them walked down the hall. Where it was usually crowded and pushy at the end of the day, everyone seemed to make way as Louis walked down, shrinking into the sides of the hall to make a free space for him to walk through. 

There was no pushing involved whatsoever, and Harry didn’t have to stumble his way through as he usually did. 

Almost everybody stared as they walked by, casting glances at them. Some of the glances were light and teasing, while others just seemed judging and harsh. 

Harry squirmed under their gazes as they walked past those people. And there were almost always whispers that followed them, mostly directed at Louis. 

When they got to the field, Louis handed Harry his things. Then, with a wink, he jogged off to the dugout to get ready. Harry bit his lip as he left, already missing the other teen. 

“Harry!” Niall shouted, jogging across the field over to him. He was wearing his footie uniform and had a bright smile on his face. “What are you doing here, mate?!”

Harry smiled, giving his friend a half hug. “Hey Ni,” he greeted with a smile. “I’m just here to watch the practise.”

“Really? Cool!” he exclaimed, clapping him on the back. “You’ll be able to see how awesome I really am while practising! I should probably go, though. Once Louis gets here, we’re going to start!”

“Alright, see you!” Harry said. His friend jogged away, blowing him a teasing kiss as he went. Harry chuckled out loud at that, before he spotted the bleachers. He walked over to them, climbing into the third row before sitting down. 

He had just sat down, when he felt someone come and sit next to him.  
“Hey stranger,” the voice said, and Harry turned around in surprise.

“Perrie!” he exclaimed, quickly giving the girl a big hug. She laughed, hugging him back tightly. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“I know! I miss having all our classes together,” Perrie replied, pulling away from the hug with a smile. Harry nodded whole heartedly in agreement. 

“Yeah, I miss making fun of Mrs Johnson with you everyday,” he said. “So, how have you been so far this year? We haven’t really talked since September!”

She nodded. “I know, it’s weird not to see you everyday,” she said. “And, it’s been going alright. Zayn and I are doing great, and things with the girls are pretty good lately. So I’d say that it’s been a pretty good year so far.”

Harry nodded, biting the inside of the cheek so that he wouldn’t say something he’d regret. She sounded earnest when she had mentioned her ‘friends’ and it made him cringe at the thought, his mind snapping back to the time outside of the ice cream truck. So he just nodded, and forced a smile onto his face. 

“I’m happy things are going good with you and Zayn,” he decided to say. “He’s really great.”

“Really great, hmm?” Perrie smirked, winking a little. “Well, if I didn’t know better, I would say that you’re after my man, Styles!”

Harry just rolled his eyes playfully. “Yeah right,” he replied cheekily. “No need to worry about that, Zayn isn’t gay. Plus, even if he was, he isn’t really my type.”

“What is your type?” she asked suddenly. 

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, someone who’s funny and nice. Someone who likes to cuddle. I like someone who’s fit and, I don’t know, brunette? I don’t really know.”

“Kinda sounds like you do know,” she said pointedly, raising her eyebrows at him.  
Harry didn’t reply, but he could feel her staring at him still. 

So instead, he looked over and focused his gaze on the field, where he saw the group standing, dressed in matching sport shorts and uniform t-shirts. 

He spotted Niall and Zayn standing, chatting happily with a few other teammates that Harry didn’t recognize. He also saw Nick and Alec in the middle of the group, laughing loudly. Finally, he looked over and saw Louis jogging over to them as well, dressed fitly in his uniform and shorts. 

“Alright! Let’s get started!” he shouted, running to the group. He saw Louis look up at the bleachers, his eyes locking on Harry, and he smiled. Harry smiled back, suppressing the urge to wave. He saw Louis wink at him, before joining the group. 

The coach walked to the front of the team, and started instructing them on warm ups and laps. The team was quick to comply, a sign that they were obedient and well trained. They started quickly and were warming up. 

Harry felt only a small bit of guilt for hardly watching Niall throughout the warm up, his eyes glued onto Louis. He was so captivating when he was playing footie. He seemed to in his element as he ran with such grace and speed. 

He kicked the ball as if he could control it, as if they were one. And his body- Harry had a hard time keeping his eyes away from that body. 

Thankfully, Perrie didn’t seem to notice him practically drooling over Louis, as she was so fixated on Zayn. She was looking at him solely, a small smile on her face as she watched him practise. 

Her eyes held such an air of adoration that Harry somewhat envied. He was, of course, very happy for Perrie and Zayn. But he just wished that someone would look at him that way. 

After a few moments of warming up, they started running laps. It was less fun to watch, so he and Perrie decided to continue talking for a little while. 

“I heard you got in a fight the other day,” she mentioned suddenly, causing Harry to look over at her in surprise. 

“How do you know that?” he asked, his eyes going wide. 

She just looked at him, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean, Harry?” she asked, slowly. “Everyone in the school knows about it by now.”

“What?” He asked frantically, his stomach starting to drop. “W-what do they know? How does everyone know about it? Who told everyone?”

“Harry, calm down,” she instructed, her eyes wide as well. “One of the footie guys was telling Eleanor and then she told all of us. I don’t know how everyone else found out… but either way, it’s not a big deal. All they’re saying is that you got into a fight with one of the footie guys.”

Harry buried his face into his hands, groaning. 

“Hey, it’s really not that big of a deal, yeah?” she said, placing a hand onto his knee. “It’s just rumors, and that’s all anyone knows. I was just asking because I wanted to make sure that you’re okay. I was just surprised when I heard, that’s all.”

He just shook his head. “I didn’t fight anyone,” he mumbled. “Alec and Liam and their friends just showed up and started bothering me, they weren’t fighting me or anything.”

“They weren’t fighting, so you threw the first punch?” she asked, frowning. “That doesn’t sound like you at all.”

Again, he shook his head. “Umm, then Nick Griffin showed up and was… saying some very disgusting things about me. So… uh… Louis sorta lunged and kinda started punching him and stuff…” he explained, biting his lip. 

Perrie’s eyes went wide. “Wow,” she breathed. “That’s just… that’s crazy. Zayn told me that Louis never starts fights, and they’re like, best friends.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t start fights. Just forget I said anything,” Harry muttered, running a hand through his hair. “And please don’t tell anyone. The last thing I need is to be starting rumors about Louis when god knows there are already enough about him.”

“Of course I won’t tell anyone, who do you think I am!?” scoffed Perrie, rolling her eyes. “This is purely between you and I. Whatever we say together doesn’t get said to anyone, not even Niall or Zayn.”

Harry nodded, “Agreed.”

“So now that we’ve agreed that no one will ever know about our conversation,” she started, biting her lip as if she was about to say something she shouldn’t. 

“Yeah?” Harry prompted. “Come on, Per! You know you can tell me anything.”

“Yeah, of course, Harry,” she said, shooting him a small, grateful smile. “It’s just hard, since I’m friends with Eleanor and I don’t want to betray her trust or anything or say something that would make her angry, she’s very sensitive…”

This time, it was Harry who rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because I’m going to tell Eleanor whatever you say,” he said sarcastically. “Now just say whatever you were going to say.”

She nodded. “Alright,” Perrie said finally. “I think that you like Louis Tomlinson. And I think that Louis likes you too. And I think that you would make a cute couple and would have the cutest babies to walk the earth.”

“W-what?!” Harry yelped, slapping a hand over her mouth to prevent her from saying anything else as his head snapping around to see if anyone had heard them. “Perrie! Don’t say things like that! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Come on, Harry,” she said, turning her head out of his palm. “I can tell you like him and he looks at you like you’re the greatest thing since Beyonce. Plus you’re hot, and he’s clearly hot. You two would literally make the perfect couple.”

Harry, who had been slowly turning bright red throughout the entire speech, shook his head vigorously. 

“No,” he stated. “No, no, no, no, no. You’re wrong, you are so wrong about this! He does not like me like that. We’re just friends.”

Perrie looked at him with disbelieving eyes. “Harry, I promise you that I have never looked at one of my friends like that,” she deadpanned. “And he definitely does like you. The only way he could possibly be more obvious about it was if his eyes could physically turn into hearts, and that’s impossible.”

Harry shook his head, not letting himself listen. “He doesn’t like me, there’s no way,” he stated, more to himself than to Perrie. “He’s the captain of the footie team- he is freaking Louis Tomlinson- otherwise known as the most popular guy at school. And I’m just Harry. He can’t possibly like me, not like that.”

Perrie just rolled her eyes at him. “Oh please, there’s no such thing as ‘just Harry,’” she said, making quotation marks with her fingers. “You might think you are, but you’re not a nobody at school anymore. There’s gossip and rumors about you. There’s girls watching you everyday and writing down what you wore into girly scrapbooks. Every guy at school wants to be in your pants. You’re not ‘just Harry’ anymore.”

Harry looked at her with wide and disturbed eyes. “I feel like that was supposed to make me feel better, but it’s not working.”

Perrie smacked him lightly across the head. “I’m trying to tell you something serious!” she exclaimed. “I’m not even supposed to tell you this, since you know how much Eleanor likes Louis… but I can tell that you and him are perfect for each other!” 

She then went silent for a moment, before adding quietly, “plus, your babies would be literal perfection.”

Harry didn’t reply, mostly because he didn’t think he could trust his voice to speak yet. His face was bright red and he could feel the heat radiating off of him. So instead of facing the embarrassment, he just turned the attention back to the field.

“Hey, look. They’re starting a game.”

Perrie hummed in response, choosing not to comment again, much to Harry’s relief. Instead, she just bit her lip and smiled as she looked at the field. “Look at them,” she said, awe dripping from her voice. “They’re just so… amazing.”

Harry nodded, his eyes locking onto none other than Louis Tomlinson as he smiled fondly. “Yeah,” he murmured. 

“You’re looking at him again,” 

“I’m looking at Niall,” he denied.

“No you’re not,”

“I’m looking at Zayn.”

“You’re checking out my boyfriend?”

“Fine, I’m watching Louis,” he admitted sheepishly. But that didn’t stop him from continuing to watch the football captain as he ran across the field, shouting instructions to his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is a juicy one, so be prepared!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is pretty short one, but it’s kinda spicy. Hope ya like it :)

When the game was over, Perrie and Harry stood up. They had spent the entire two hours sitting together, talking about everything and anything. 

It had been nice to catch up with her, especially since Harry hadn’t properly seen her very much recently. 

But now the practise was over, and he was ready to see the boys again. He stood up from the bleachers, before rushing over to where his friends were standing, talking amongst themselves along with the rest of the team. 

Niall, Zayn and Louis were all talking together when Harry showed up. They were all flushed and very sweaty from the practise, their uniforms clinging to their bodies. 

But despite looking completely exhausted, they all had bright smiles on their faces. 

Harry ran over to them. “Hey, guys!” he said, happily. 

They all looked at him, smiling. “Hey, Haz,” Niall greeted, and Harry preened at the nickname. It was the one that Louis had made up for him, and he was liking people calling him that. 

“Did you like the practise?” Zayn asked. 

Harry nodded earnestly. “I did,” he replied. “But it looks so tiring! I can’t believe you do all of that three times a week!”

The boys shrugged. “Well, you get used to it,” Louis answered. “Besides, it doesn’t really matter anymore about how tiring it is, just that we love the game.”

“Besides, the chicks dig it when we’re all hot and flushed,” Niall added, swinging an arm so that it was resting on Harry’s shoulder. Harry instantly felt the sweat from his hot body dripping onto him, and he yelped. 

“You’re so sweaty!” He exclaimed, stepping away and wiping the wet patch of sweat off of his hoodie. “Gross, Niall!”

“It’s just sweat, Harry,” Louis said, grinning evilly as he stepped closer to the curly haired teen. 

He spread his arms open so that Harry could clearly see the sheen coat of sweat coating his entire body, causing his thin clothes to stick to him. 

Harry swallowed thickly, tearing his eyes away. “It’s still gross to touch,” he replied, scrunching up his nose. 

Louis smiled evilly. “Oh yeah,” he dawled, taking another step closer. “So you would mind if I went like this?” 

Then, without a warning, he surged forward and grabbed Harry into a giant bear hug, wrapping both of his strong arms around the teen. 

“LOUIS!” Yelped Harry, a shriek of laughter escaping from his mouth as he tried to get away from the teen. “Louis! You’re so sweaty!”

Louis just laughed, his hold tightening around the other teen. He had one arm wrapped firmy around his back, while the other one was securing his waist. 

“You love it!” he exclaimed. He then lifted Harry off of the ground, causing him to yelp again. 

“Louis, let me go!” he gasped, practically screaming of laughter when the teen picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. “LOU!”

He could tell that people were watching them, but Harry couldn’t bring himself to care. He was just gasping through his laughter, slung over Louis’ shoulder. 

He halfheartedly whacked his sweaty back a couple of times, but didn’t actually put up much of a fight. He was actually enjoying the feeling of being so close to the other boy. 

“You want me to let you go?” Louis laughed. Harry nodded vigorously, but the teen just cackled evilly. “NEVER!” He then started spinning around in circles, spinning Harry around with him. The curly haired boy squealed, grabbing a fistful of his shirt.

“LOU!” He exclaimed, gasping through a mix of his shouts and laughs. “Louis! Put me down! I’m gonna be sick!”

At this, Louis stopped spinning. He was still grinning widely and his eyes were dancing with mirth, but he slowed to a stop. He reached over his shoulder, his hands bracing onto Harry’s hips as he helped the teen back down. 

Harry nearly fell down once his wobbly legs touched the ground. He stumbled forward, only being held up by Louis’ hands, which were still holding onto him tightly. 

He looked up, their faces very close together. “Thanks,” he breathed, not making a move to move away.

Louis didn’t move either, his hands still resting on Harry’s hips. “No problem,” he responded, his breathing heavily as well. Harry could feel the warm breath washing over his face, causing his heart to flutter inside of his chest. 

He lifted his eyes to gaze directly into Louis’ eyes. They were half lidded, the bright ocean blue covered by his thick eyelashes. Harry watched as Louis’ eyes flicked down from his own eyes, down to his parted lips. 

Harry let his own eyes drop down to Louis’ pink lips as well, the sight causing his breath to hitch in his throat. They were so plump and slicked with saliva, and Harry had to resist the temptation to grab his face and smash their lips together. 

“Harry…” Louis whispered, his tone coming off quiet and breathy. It sent shivers down Harry’s spine and made him want to kiss him all the more. Louis’ head moved a millimeter closer so that their noses were nearly touching. 

All Harry had to do was lean his head a little closer and then he could gently touch their lips…

“HEY, HARRY!” Niall yelled suddenly, causing both of them to jump. They separated instantly, looking over with wide, surprised eyes in the irish’s direction. Harry immediately blushed crimson, and he saw Louis take a small step back. 

The blond, irish boy was standing a few feet away, surrounded by both Zayn and Perrie. The two guys didn’t seem to have noticed that anything had happened, but Perrie was looking between them with a knowing smirk on her face. That caused Harry to turn even redder. 

“Harry! We’re all going to go out for food at the pizza place, you in?” Niall asked, completely oblivious to what had almost happened. Harry swallowed thickly, nodding his head. 

“Eh, yeah…” he stammered, swallowing thickly. He walked over to the group, his legs feeling weak and unsteady. His knees were shaking, and he didn’t know whether it was from the dizziness from spinning or from something else. 

Zayn nodded, placing his arm around Perrie’s shoulders. “Great!” he smiled, before looking down at his girlfriend. “Are you coming too, babes?” He asked sweetly.

Perrie smiled adoringly at him, pecking him on the cheek. “Nah, I think I’m going to head over to Eleanor’s. We’re having a girls night. Besides-” she cast a smirk over in Harry’s direction, “-I think it would be good for you guys to have a guys night. Alone.”

It sounded completely innocent, but the way she said it and directed it at Harry caused him to blush even more. He bit his lip, praying that no one would notice how embarrassed he was getting until he could get himself under control. But, of course, that didn’t happen. 

“Harry, why are you so red? Are you feeling alright, mate?” Niall asked, his face looking confused. He brought a hand up to rest of Harry’s forehead for any sign of warmth. Harry moved out of his reach again. 

“I’m fine, Niall,” he muttered through gritted teeth. He tried to send his best friend a pointed look as if telling him to drop it. 

But, of course, nothing ever went the way he wanted. “Are you sure? You look really red and your face feels really hot. Maybe you’re sick or something. Are you sure you want to go out tonight?” He asked in concern. 

“Niall. Shut up,” Harry hissed, glaring. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, he’s more than fine,” Perrie added, a sly smirk on her face. Harry turned his glare to direct it at her, but she just winked in response, her eyes dancing with mirth. 

Zayn looked at his girlfriend in confusion, but (thankfully) chose not to comment. “Alright then…” he said after a moment. “So, you coming too Louis?”

Louis then appeared a second later, popping up right next to Harry. The curly boy just looked down and tried to look as normal as possible. “Of course,” he answered easily. “You know I wouldn’t miss a chance to pig out on pizza.”

Harry bit his lip. He could feel the warmth radiating off of Louis’ body from next to him, they were so close. But in a way, they weren’t nearly close enough and it was taking Harry all of his self control not to throw himself back into the other boy’s arms. 

So instead, he just stayed silent and rooted on spot. 

“Great,” Niall said. “Then let’s go, I’m starving!”

***

“Oof, I’m stuffed!” groaned Zayn, rubbing a hand over his stomach as they left the pizza spot that night. As if on cue, he let out an enormous burp, to which he quickly covered his mouth. “Oh, sorry!”

Niall just rolled his eyes. “Speak for yourself. I feel like I could still eat another whole pizza!” he exclaimed, before pausing. “Actually, I might do that later tonight…”

“How are you still hungry? You ate all of your pizza, plus most of Harry’s!” Zayn asked, his eyes going wide. “You’re, like, not overweight at all. How do you eat so much!?”

Niall shrugged. “Practise,” he replied, simply. 

Harry smiled at his friends as they continued chatting away happily about pizza. It had been a great night at the pizza place. They had spent nearly three hours there, drinking coke and eating pizza after pizza as they laughed and hung out together. By now it was nearly nine o’clock, and already getting pretty dark out. 

A breeze blew by, and Harry buried his hands into his hoodie pockets. It was getting more and more cold and windier, as it was nearly November. Actually, Halloween was in two days, which meant that November was just around the corner. 

“Cold?” A voice asked, appearing next to him. 

Harry looked up at Louis in surprise, before slowly shrugging. “Just a little,” he replied, trying to make his voice sound as natural as possible. “It’s kinda cold out here.”

“Here, you can wear my vest,” Louis offered, immediately starting to shrug off the navy vest that he had been wearing overtop of his own hoodie. Harry shook his head. 

“No, no. You keep it,” he declined, reaching a hand up to stop the other boy. “I’m fine, really. Just being a little bit of a big baby. But I’m fine, you keep your vest.”

“Are you sure?” Louis asked in concern, pausing his motions. “I’m not that cold anyway.”

But Harry just nodded, pulling his hoodie tighter around his small body. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he replied. Deep down, he knew that he wanted to wear the vest, but that would be taking things too far, especially after what happened earlier. 

He had managed to avoid private conversation with Louis throughout the entire night. 

Sure, they had talked to each other and laughed together, but Harry had made sure that he and Louis weren’t alone together for the entire night. Call him weird, but he had to do whatever he could to avoid the upcoming awkward conversation. 

But now Niall and Zayn were walking a few feet ahead of them, arguing about something or another, and he and Louis were walking alone together. He could tell that the conversation was definitely coming. 

“So,” Louis said, clearing his throat. “I, uh, I just wanted to- umm… talk about what, uh, happened earlier. When we were, you know, at the field after practise…”

‘Ah,’ Harry thought miserably. ‘Here we go. Awkward conversation time. Of course he wants to talk about it.’

“Yeah,” he said, trying to stop the nervous wobble in his voice. “Umm, sorry about that.”

Louis blinked at him in surprise. “Sorry?” he repeated, furrowing his brow in confusion. “W-why are you sorry? What do you have to be sorry about?”

Harry bit his lip, looking down at the ground. “I almost- we almost… you know… and that was kinda out of line for friends to do. Friends don’t… friends don’t usually, you know, kiss each other. And we’re friends, right?”

Louis inhaled a long deep breath. “Right, we’re friends. Of course,” he mumbled, shuffling his feet. 

Harry instantly felt guilty. ‘Why does he look disappointed? What did I say? Oh god, he didn’t want to kiss me at all, and now he feels bad about it because we’re friends! Ugh! I’m really blowing everything tonight!’ His mind thought frantically to himself. 

He turned to face Louis, effectively stopping them in the middle of the sidewalk. “Look, Lou,” he started, biting his bottom lip. “I really am sorry about that. I really like you and I like being friends. I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”

Louis didn’t reply. He had his head tilted low so that he was looking intently at the ground, his face masked by the darkness. After a long moment, he sighed. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I don’t want things to be weird either. I get it…”

Harry frowned a little, swallowing. “Yeah,” he forced out, his throat feeling uncomfortably tight in his mouth. “So, we’re- umm- we’re good?”

Louis nodded, looking back up and flashing him a tight lipped smile. “We’re good.”

“I mean, it was just a kiss!” Harry exclaimed, chuckling awkwardly to himself. “We didn’t even kiss, so it’s not- even if we did, it’s not like it would mean anything. Like, you kiss people, right? It’s not like you date everyone- not that we would- it’s not like it had any meaning. I’m going to shut up now…”

“Yeah, you should probably shut up,” Louis murmured softly. “And like I already said, we’re cool.”

The curly haired boy nodded, letting out a silent sigh of relief. He was just grateful that he hadn’t completely shattered his chances of being friends with Louis, even if it meant that he also hadn’t gotten to kiss him. 

“Great. So I was planning on heading back to my dorm. I think Niall and Zayn are planning on going there too and watching a movie or something, if you want to come over?” He offered, his heart fluttering in his chest. 

But much to his disappointment, Louis shook his head. “Actually, I’m kinda tired. I think I’m just going to go to bed tonight,” he muttered, looking back down at his feet. 

Harry’s heart sank, but he tried to quickly mask it with what he hoped was an understanding expression. 

“O-oh, yeah, sure,” he stuttered, swallowing thickly and trying not to sound as disappointed as he felt. 

Louis nodded, not bothering to look up. “See you, Harry,” he said, turning around and starting to walk the other way. He had said it so quietly that the other teen had nearly missed it. 

“Bye, Louis,” he said, waving to Louis’ retreating back.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this story is my baby. I have two different fics on this site, but this one is definitely my favourite.
> 
> I couldn’t wait any longer to update!! I sped through writing this chapter, so I hope y’all like it!

The guilty, gnawing feeling in Harry's stomach didn’t loosen at all over the weekend. 

He had gone straight to his dorm after dinner at the pizza place, and had locked himself in his bedroom while Niall and Zayn watched a movie together. He had gone straight to bed, even though it had only been ten o’clock and it was friday. 

But his thoughts had been running wild. He kept seeing the football field and his and Louis’ almost-kiss over and over again in his head, while the conversation he had had with said teen after getting pizza echoed. 

He would unconsciously imagine Louis while he slept, from his disappointed face, to his dancing blue eyes, to his very kissable lips. 

He thought of him over and over again for the entire night until his mind was physically throbbing from thinking so hard. So he had just grabbed a sleeping pill and knocked himself into a dreamless sleep that night. 

But the rest of the weekend hadn’t been much better. Harry didn’t know whether he wanted to avoid Louis, or if he desperately wanted to see him again. He didn’t have to make that decision, though, because Louis seemed to have decided that he didn’t want to see Harry. 

The two of them hadn’t seen each other for the entire weekend, and it was slowly crushing Harry. He had tried to meet up with the other teen, but he never answered his texts and wouldn’t answer his phone calls. But it wasn’t just that, he would also avoid Harry in person. 

For instance, Harry had seen Louis walking around campus on Saturday, and had tried to get his attention. Louis had looked at him briefly, before quickly looking away and hurrying off in the opposite direction.  
Harry tried to brush it off as no big deal. 

The game was that Sunday night, so of course Louis was going to be busy. He was the captain of the team, so he had to run the practises and plan and do whatever else. 

So Harry tried not to take it too personally, telling himself that he would talk to Louis after the game. He might see him at the party that Niall was making him go to. 

But even still, Harry had grown very close to Louis, even going as far as to say he was one of his best friends. But Liam and Ed were not talking to him, and now Louis would hardly look at him. 

He only had Niall and Zayn- who were great. They were amazing, but he was missing his other friends too. And not being able to see Louis was hurting him more than he would have liked to let on. 

Harry sighed out loud to himself, his brain starting to hurt from all his thinking. He was lying on his bed, staring intently up at his ceiling, waiting for Niall to come in and drag him out of bed. 

Sure enough, the blond boy appeared at his doorway. 

“Come on, Haz! The game’s gonna start in half an hour and I gotta get down to the field!” He exclaimed, his head popping up in the doorway, already dressed in his uniform.

“Why do I have to go down so early?” He whined, closing his eyes and throwing his arm over to cover his eyes. “You just go without me, I’m tired!”

He heard a huff from the doorway, before the sound of footsteps approaching his bed. “Come on, Harry. You’ve been enjoying your pity party for days, time to go!” He said, jabbing the other boy in the ribs. 

Harry squeaked, flinching away from his finger with a glare. “I’m not having a pity party!” he frowned. “I’m just not having a great weekend. So either pity me or leave me alone!”

“How can I pity you when you won’t even tell me what’s wrong?” Niall retaliated, rolling his eyes at his friend. “Honestly Harry, I’m not going to feel bad for you unless you actually tell me what’s wrong. So, wanna spill the beans?”

Harry just crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his lips sealed shut as he glared at his friend. Yes, he hadn’t told anyone about what happened. No, he didn’t want to and wasn’t going to. Not until he could at least wrap his head around everything.

As if taking that as his answer, Niall just huffed. “Fine,” he said. “If you’re not going to tell me, then stop moping around. It’s kinda depressing and you’re killing my vibe. So spill or quit it.”

“I almost kissed Louis,” he blurted out suddenly, catching both of them by surprise. He quickly clamped his lips shut again, completely shocked that the words had slipped out of his mouth so suddenly. 

Niall just gaped at him, his eyes as wide as tennis balls. 

“Y-you what!?” he yelled, causing Harry to flinch a little. “HARRY! You- how did- when- WHAT!?”

“Niall, stop yelling,” Harry said, clapping a hand over his friend’s mouth as he looked around the room as if to make sure no one could hear them. “Calm down. Nothing happened, we didn’t even kiss. Just, almost…”

“ALMOST!” Niall shouted, his voice slightly muffled by his friend’s hand. 

“Ssh!” Harry hissed, glaring. “Shut up, Niall! Someone might hear you!”

But Niall completely ignored him, pushing his face away from Harry’s hand. 

“Ok, how did you almost kiss Louis Tomlinson?” He asked, running a hand through his hair. “Harry, just wow. Just- god.”

“I know, I know,” Harry said, sighing as he winced. “It’s really bad. I know that already.”

Niall nodded, sucking in a deep breath. “I’m not angry, just- woah, Haz. I knew you liked him and I was pretty sure he liked you too, but I didn’t know it was this bad… Are you two dating now or something? Did he try and kiss you back? What happened?”

“You don’t need to worry about us dating,” Harry snorted, fiddling with the hem of his shirt nervously with his fingers. “It was a big mistake. He won’t answer my calls, he won’t respond to my texts, he doesn’t talk to me anymore. Hell, he doesn’t even look at me anymore!”

“He won’t talk to you?” Niall repeated, sighing. 

Harry nodded miserably. “I really screwed this all up, didn’t I?”

“Well, maybe there’s just some miscommunication?” suggested Niall, prodding his friend’s chin, forcing his head up. “Hey, look at me. Just tell me what happened.”

Harry scrunched up his nose, contemplating whether or not to obey. But eventually, he just sighed and looked back down at his hands. 

“It happened on Friday, after practise. Remember when he picked me up and we started spinning?”

Niall nodded silently, listening intently as he didn’t say anything. 

“Yeah, well after he put me down, I sorta fell. It was on accident, ‘cause I was clumsy or dizzy or whatever. Anyway, he sorta caught me mid-fall, and then we were suddenly really close together. Not just close, but really close. Then he sorta leaned forward a little, I don’t know, and he said my name. So then I leaned forward and we were about to kiss, before you called me over again.” He explained the entire story, taking a deep breath at the end. 

Niall didn’t say anything for a long time, breathing softly next to him. Harry didn’t say anything either, waiting for his friend to say the first word. They just sat in silence for several long, silent minutes, before Niall spoke. 

“But that happened after practise, then we all went to get pizza. You two were fine then, weren’t you?” He asked. 

Harry nodded. “Y-yeah. It was fine until the walk home. He sorta brought it up, and he had this uncomfortable look on his face and I just knew that he was going to tell me that it was a mistake. So I just beat him to it and apologized.”

Niall blinked at him in surprise. “Hold up, you apologized for a kiss?” He sounded almost shocked, looking at Harry as though he was insane. 

“Well, I mean, I also told him that it was a mistake and that it didn’t mean anything and that I didn’t want things to be awkward between us…” he added, almost whispering. Now that he was saying it out loud, it sounded worse to his brain. 

“Harry! What were you thinking!” Scolded Niall loudly, causing Harry’s head to shoot up to him in shock.

“Wha-” Harry started in surprise. 

“Harry! He likes you!” Niall shouted, running a hand through his hair. “He must! First, he can hardly keep his hands off you. Second, he made the first move and tried to kiss you. Third, if he were just your friend, he wouldn’t have cared if the kiss meant nothing to you! But he did care, which means that he must like you!”

Harry blinked at his friend a few times, his eyes wide and shocked. “B-but that’s not…” he stammered, his face paling. “He started telling me that it was a mistake earlier!”

“Are you sure he said that? Or did you just assume that that was what he was going to say?” Niall asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction. 

Harry thought for a moment, wracking his brain desperately to remember the exact words that had been spoken. 

“Oh my god, Niall!” He suddenly yelled, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. “Louis Tomlinson likes me! Shit, what do I do, Niall! I don’t know… I told him that it meant nothing! He must think I’m the biggest ass ever!”

“Harry, Harry, calm down,” Niall said, placing his hands onto his friend’s shoulders to snap him out of his frenzy. “Ok, we’re going to fix this. This is all going to be fine, and we’re just going to explain everything. This will all work out.”

“How am I going to fix this?!” He cried, bringing his hands up to pull at his hair a little. 

“Harry, stop freaking out,” Niall instructed. “Listen, this is what we’re going to do. We’re going to go to the game right now. It will be early, which means that only a few people will be there other than the footie team. You can go talk to Louis before the game and work everything out.”

Harry nodded mutely, not quite trusting his voice to speak. His mind was buzzing a million miles a minute. 

‘Louis liked me?’ he kept thinking. ‘But, how was that possible? How could he possibly like me?’

***

Harry swallowed thickly as he walked over to the field. He was right behind Niall, practically hiding behind him as they walked along. 

After his chat with the blond boy, Harry had been working up the courage to talk to Louis. At the dorm, he had made up his mind that he was going to talk to the other teen and explain everything. 

But now that they were actually at the field, he wasn’t so confident about it anymore. 

“Niall, this is a bad idea…” he murmured to his friend as they stepped onto the field. 

He reached a hand up to stop his irish friend, but Niall shrugged it off and rolled his eyes. 

“We’re doing this, Haz,” he responded. “Besides, we’re almost there. You just have to talk to him and explain what’s going on. It’s simple. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I could ruin everything,” Harry pointed out. “I could tell him only to find out that he doesn’t like me the same way. He might be disgusted by me and hate me forever. Not only will I ruin any shot of ever dating him, but I’ll ruin our friendship! He’ll never look at me the same way and he won’t even want to see me again! You know what, this was a bad idea…”

Harry turned to leave again, when Niall grabbed him by the wrist. “Oh no you don’t,” he said, dragging the other boy. “We are doing this. So stop overreacting. You got this.”

“I don’t got this,” Harry whimpered, pulling against the grip on his wrist. “Niall, I really don’t got this. I can’t do it, I can’t. Just let me go back to the dorm. I promise to go to the afterparty tonight if you just let me go to the dorm.”

Niall rolled his eyes again. “Nope, I’m not letting you go. You’re never going to make this better if you don’t talk to him,” he said. Then he added, “plus, you’re coming to the party anyway. I went to the movie night with you, and you promised you’d come to the party.”

“Niall…” Harry whined pathetically, pouting at his friend. 

“Harry…” Niall mocked him, causing the curly haired boy to huff in annoyance.  
“I really don’t want to do this,” he murmured, frowning. “I really, really do not want to do this.”

Niall patted his arm comfortingly. “I know, babe,” he said. “But you’re gonna have to talk to him at some point, and might as well get it over with. You know, unless you want to never speak to him again and definitely ruin any chance of any sort of relationship ever again?”

Harry glared at his friend. “Fine,” he groaned. “Fine, I’ll talk to him. But don’t expect me to spill all of my deepest emotions to him or anything.”

Niall smiled brightly at him. “I’m not expecting anything more than a quick conversation,” he said, cheerfully. “And look, we’re here now! Too late to back out!”

They had arrived at the dugout, where all of the team was gathered. Before Harry could stop him, Niall was waving his hands in the air. 

“Hey, Louis!” He shouted, waving the teen over. “C’mere for a sec!”

Louis, who had been talking to someone else on the team, looked over at them. His brow was furrowed in confusion and he was frowning slightly as he excused himself from the other guy and started walking towards them. 

“Niall, shut up!” Hissed Harry through gritted teeth, trying to stop his friend. 

But it was too late, as Niall had already waved the other boy over. Louis walked over to them cautiously, looking at Niall with confusion. He shot Harry a quick glance before quickly looking away. 

“Yeah, Niall?” He asked once he got over to them. 

“Oh, hi Louis,” Niall said, slightly too cheerfully. “What a coincidence that you’re over here! With me and Harry! What brings you over this way?”

Louis just looked even more confused, his eyebrows scrunching together on his forehead. “Uh, you called me over here?” He said with a frown. 

Niall feigned confusion as well, but Harry could see the glint in his eyes. “Oh, did I?” He asked innocently, blinking. “Hmm, well now that we just happen to be over here, I think Harry had something he wanted to talk to you about.”

“No I didn’t-” Harry started, looking at his friend with alarm. 

But Niall was already skipping away toward the dugout. “See ya!” He said happily, leaving the two of them standing on the field by themselves. 

Harry made a mental note to murder Niall in his sleep, and he wouldn’t even try to make it look like an accident. 

He glared at his friend’s retreating form until Niall disappeared into the dugout, and he could no longer stare angrily at him. So now he was just standing awkwardly alone with Louis. 

“Umm…” Louis said, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Did you, uh, have something you wanted to say?”

“No,” Harry said immediately, shaking his head vigorously. 

“Oh,” Louis responded, shuffling his feet. He paused for a long moment. “Well then, I should probably be going back and get ready for the game…”

Harry nodded, biting his lip as he refused to look him in the eye. “Umm, actually, can you wait for a second?” He asked nervously. “Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Alright,” Louis said, placing his hands on his hips. It was a simple gesture and wasn’t meant to be intimidating, but to Harry it just made him all the more nervous. “I have to go get ready soon, so can we make this quick?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Harry stammered. “I, uh, we don’t even have to do it now. You’re busy, it’s fine. I can talk to you later when you have time for it. I can just go.”

Louis was quick to stop him. “No, no, don’t go,” he said with a sigh. He brought a hand up to rub his temples. “Sorry, that was rude. I have time, Haz. Just tell me.”

“Right,” Harry said, clearing his throat. “I just wanted to say sorry.”

“Sorry?” Louis repeated, raising his eyebrows. “Why are you sorry? You don’t have any reason to be sorry to me.”

“No, but I do,” Harry continued, looking up into the crystal blue eyes and biting his lip. “I wanted to say sorry about what happened on the field on Friday and for the conversation after.”

Louis huffed, rolling his eyes. “You don’t have to be sorry. After all, nothing actually happened and we didn’t actually do anything. Plus it meant nothing, so it doesn’t matter.” He said sharply, frowning. 

Harry’s eyes went wide. “Wait, you’re mad at me?” He asked, dubiously. Louis shook his head, but his features didn’t soften in the slightest. “You are! You’re mad at me, and that’s why you’ve been avoiding me!”

“Harry, stop being ridiculous,” Louis stated, tightening his lips into a firm line. 

But Harry shook his head. “Why are you mad at me, Louis? Is it because I almost kissed you?” He pressed, cocking his head to the side. 

“I have to go get ready,” Louis answered firmly, turning around to leave. “I can’t talk anymore right now.”

Harry quickly ran so that he was standing directly in front of Louis again. “Lou, please talk to me,” he pleaded. “You’ve been avoiding me all weekend, so clearly you’re mad at me! Listen, I’m sorry for what happened but please just talk to me.”

“We have nothing to talk about, Harry,” Louis said, stepping around the small boy. “Like you said, the kiss was a mistake and it meant nothing. End of story.”

“Louis, please listen to me. I can explain-”

“I don’t know what there is to explain,” Louis snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Go take a seat, Harry. I have a game to get ready for and I don’t have time to talk to you right now. Besides, I think we’re done here anyway.”

“Louis, please,” Harry begged, trying to grab at the other boy’s jersey t-shirt. “Just listen to me for a moment so that I can explain. Please, Lou!”

Louis shrugged off the hand that was grabbing onto his uniform. “There’s nothing to talk about Harry. It was almost a kiss, and it didn’t mean anything. I’m moving on from it and have more important things to do tonight than to keep talking with you.”

“It didn’t mean nothing!” Harry blurted out loudly, causing Louis to stop in his tracks. “It didn’t mean nothing, okay? It wasn’t just an almost kiss for me. I was scared and I lied, okay? It meant something to me.”

Harry could barely breathe for a long moment. Neither one of them moved for a long time, just staying frozen in spot as Harry’s words stayed thick in the air. 

He was biting his lip, a nauseous feeling settling in the pit of his stomach as he waited with bated breath for some kind of reaction from the other boy. 

Finally, Louis turned around slowly. His eyes were wide and he looked just about as shocked as Harry felt. 

“Harry…” Louis whispered, before he was suddenly cut off. 

“LOUIS! We have a problem!” One of the footie in the dugout shouted. 

Louis just shook his head. “Just wait a minute!” He called back, before looking at Harry again. He opened his mouth to say something again, but was interrupted. 

“Coach says it’s an emergency! We need you NOW!” The guy yelled back at him. 

Louis looked conflicted, biting his lip as he glanced from Harry to the dugout nervously. Harry could tell that he needed to go to the dugout, so he quickly said so. 

“Go, Louis,” he said quietly. 

“But-” Louis started, only for the guys to call his name again. Harry just frowned and looked at him pointedly. The captain sighed loudly, before yelling. “Alright, alright, I’m coming!” He shouted at them. 

He turned back, throwing a look at Harry. He couldn’t tell what it was; Pity? Longing? Sadness? He didn’t know. “Haz…” Louis trailed off quietly.

“Go,” Harry urged, feeling his heart start to sink in his chest. “They need you. I- I can wait.”

Louis nodded, biting his lip. “We’re not done here,” he stated, before turning on his heel and running off to the dugout. 

Harry swallowed thickly, feeling completely numb. What does ‘we’re not done here’ mean? He’s going to tell Harry that he doesn’t feel the same way? That he doesn’t want to see him again? That he doesn’t want to be friends anymore? Or is it something good? 

Harry didn’t know, but that didn’t stop his heart from thumping erratically inside of his chest. 

He figured that the boys would be in the dugout for a while, and then have to get ready for the game, so he probably wouldn't see any of them until after the game. He let out a long sigh, before slowly shuffling over to the bleachers. 

There were almost no seats left for him. Despite showing up half an hour early, the seats were already jam packed with fans, all talking loudly to their friends. 

The seats were almost all taken and there certainly weren’t any in the front row, where he would much rather sit. 

The only spaces left were to stand by himself on the grass and probably get hit on by some drunk idiot, or find somewhere on the bleachers where he could sit so that he didn’t look like he was alone. 

That left Harry with almost no more options. He decided that he could either take his chances with sitting with someone who was already there, or end up sitting by someone random. 

But he didn’t want to end up sitting with some random jock who would probably be drunk and hitting on him the entire time, so he decided to test his luck on one of the other people there.

Harry glanced at the small crowd that was in the bleachers, looking for the person who looked most likeable. His eyes landed on a spot next to two guys who both looked nice. One of them was tall and scruffy looking, but in a non threatening way. The other was slightly overweight with a head full of light hair and round cheeks. 

Harry took a deep breath to himself, before moving to the spot next to them. He walked up the bleachers, until he got to the third row where the boys were sitting. He tapped the closest one to him, the taller one. 

“Hey, I was just wondering if this seat was taken?” He asked politely, smiling. 

The guy looked up and smiled back. “Yeah, of course,” he said, shifting over to make room. “Not like anyone would want to sit here anyway.”

Harry smiled gratefully, before sliding in between the two boys. “Thanks a lot,” he said. “Sorry about this, I just didn’t really want to end up by some random jock, you know?”

“Ahem to that!” The blond boy next to him shouted, before laughing loudly. Harry jumped a little in surprise, turning to look at him. “Drunken football fans are the worst! Actually, all football fans are the worst!”

The taller boy on the other side of Harry rolled his eyes. “I told you you didn’t have to come to this game,” he defended with a frown. 

“Yeah, and what was I going to do?” The blond boy challenged with a raised eyebrow, before he added. “Besides, this is a great place to pick up girls.” He then turned to look at Harry, “d’you wanna find a girl or two with me? I promise we’ll share, I bet you could snag quite a few.”

Harry blinked in surprise a few times. He could tell that this guy was nice and funny, though a little invasive, but he could tell that he liked him. 

“Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t really swing that way.”

“Oh, so you’re gay?” The boy asked bluntly. 

“You don’t have to answer that!” Cut in the other teen, sending a glare at his friend. “James, stop interrogating the lad! That’s personal!”

The blond boy, James, held his hands up in defense. “It’s just a question! Not like it would change anything. I don’t have a problem or anything with it! Aiden here is my best friend and he’s gayer than the guys on Queer Eye!” 

The other boy, Aiden, smacked James’ arm lightly. James scowled, sticking his tongue out in return. 

Harry shook his head, smiling at the exchange. “It’s fine,” he replied. “And, yeah, I am gay.”

“Sorry about him,” Aiden said sincerely with a grimace. “Sometimes he doesn’t exactly filter out what he’s saying and just says stuff. You’ll learn to just ignore him.”

Jame huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “You should know that my words are considered a blessing by many,” he muttered, though his tone was light and playful. 

“Sure,” Aiden said, rolling his eyes. “So, what’s your name?”

“I’m Harry,” Harry said brightly. 

James was quick to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you Harry, I’m James Corden!” He exclaimed, shaking his hand enthusiastically. “And this prat over here is the one and only Aiden Griffin!”

Aiden on the hand, just looked at him with a furrowed brow. “You’re Harry Styles, aren’t you?” He asked slowly. 

Harry nodded slowly in confusion. “Uh, yeah…” he said. “How’d you know?”

Aiden grimaced, looking down at his hands. “Uh, well the thing is…” he said quietly. “My brother sorta- he’s the one who-” he stopped, and took a breath. “My brother is Nick Griffin. Twin brother, actually…”

Harry’s face must have shown his confusion and horror, because James was quick to cut in. “Yeah, but besides the same birthday and same parents, they have nothing in common.” He explained hastily. 

“O-oh,” Harry stammered, his face still looking shocked. “W-well, that sucks.”

Aiden let out a humorless laugh. “Definitely sucks,” he agreed. “Sucks is actually an understatement of what it is.”

Harry bit his lip. “Yeah, uh, sorry about that,” he mumbled, looking down at his hands. He really didn’t know what to say after that. The boy he was sitting next to was the twin brother of the guy who had been harassing him the entire year. All of a sudden, he felt very awkward. 

“Listen, I am so unbelievingly sorry about my brother,” Aiden said. “He’s a dick. Sorry that he decided to pick on you this year. I hate him.”

Harry shrugged. “‘S not your fault,” he answered, slightly awkwardly. “I just kinda, you know, hate your brother. A lot.”

James snorted from the other side of him. “Join the club!” He exclaimed, before changing the subject. “So Harry, are you going to the party tonight?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, my friend Niall is making me go,” he explained. “Why, are you two going to go?”

“I wish,” James murmured wistfully. “But we don’t really get invited to them. Only the footie guys and the popular people from school get to go. But it would be fun.”

“You should come,” Harry insisted. “Believe me, you can go even if you don’t get invited. I’m going to be there, plus I could introduce you to Niall, Zayn and Louis. You’d like them. Plus, no one is going to try and stop you, and just tell Zayn if they do, and he’ll scare them off.”

“Are they fun?” James asked with wide eyes. “I’ve heard that they can get wild sometimes. Like, one girl ended up pregnant one year and someone else got alcohol poisoning. It sounds amazing.”

“Eh, I don’t like them,” Harry answered truthfully. “I’ve been to one of them and ended up black-out drunk and dancing with way too many people. One of my friends practically had to carry me home from the party since I couldn’t stand up properly.”

“Sounds awesome,” James mumbled. 

“Eh, actually I don’t think I’d want to go,” Aiden grimaced, biting his lip. “I don’t really drink or anything. It doesn’t really sound like much fun. I’m more of a stay home sorta guy.” Harry nodded, fully understanding. 

“I practically had to drag him all the way here,” James said with an eyeroll. “Oh, Harry, I think that guy over there is trying to get your attention.”

Harry frowned in confusion, looking to where the other boy was looking. He smiled brightly when he saw that it was Louis, dressed in his uniform, running towards them. 

Louis ran the rest of the way, before jumping up to the bleachers. 

“Wait- what?! that Louis Tomlinson?” James asked, his eyes going wide. 

Immediately the crowd started going a little crazy, reaching out and trying to talk to Louis. But he ignored them and pushed his way through the crowd of people, making his way to the third row, where Harry was sitting. 

“I think he’s coming over here,” Aiden stated, sounding shocked. 

“Harry!” Called Louis, searching the crowd. His eyes landed on the curly haired boy, before rushing over to him. James and Aiden looked at him with wide eyes. 

Harry ignored the two boys next to him. “Hey Lou,” he said, feeling a mix of happiness and nervousness settling into the pit of his stomach. The butterflies were going wild, and he could feel himself getting anxious. 

Thankfully, Louis smiled back at him. “Hey Haz,” he greeted with a smile. “The game’s about to start, but I wanted to come talk to you first. First of all, sorry about having to rush off like that before.”

“It’s fine,” Harry said, brushing it off and trying his best to ignore the two boys beside him, who were both practically ogling at the other teen. “It sounded kinda serious, is everything okay?”

Louis sighed, running a hand through his hair. He was no longer smiling, and instead just looked stressed out. “No, not really,” he said with a frown. “Jackson and Trey Armstrong’s grandmother died last night, and they’re at home. Now Hillview High, the school we were supposed to play tonight, cancelled and we have to go up against MountainRidge High- and they’re the best team in the league!”

“Louis, you’re getting stressed out. Calm down,” Harry said, standing up in front of the other teen and placing his hands onto his shoulders. 

But Louis shook his head. “No, I can’t calm down because we can’t lose!” He yelled. “If we lose this game, we’re out of the championship!”

“You’re not going to lose-” started Harry. 

“We might!” Louis exclaimed. “MountainRidge is really good! They’re the best team in the league, and we’re not ready to go up against them yet! We won’t win, and we have to win!”

“Louis, stop freaking out,” Harry instructed. “You’re the captain, the team can’t see you panicking or else they’ll panic as well. And besides, there’s no need for it. You guys have been training so hard these past few days and you are ready! You’re going to win!”

“I don’t know, Haz…” Louis murmured. “They’re really good. Their team is good and their coach is good. Their captain is really, really good-”

“Louis, you’re really, really good. You’re the best team captain there is!” Harry exclaimed, loudly enough for the point to get across, but not loud enough to cause a scene. “And you’re going to win because- because- because you’re Louis freaking Tomlinson, and you’re a winner!”

“Yeah?” Louis asked weakly, looking up at him nervously. 

Harry nodded confidently. “Yeah,” he said firmly. “Now you get out there and kick some pathetic MountainRidge ass!”

Louis smiled brightly. “Yeah!” he exclaimed as well, sounding much more confident. “Thanks so much, Haz!” He reached over, enveloping Harry into a giant hug, his arms squeezing around the smaller boy tightly. 

Harry smiled in the hug, immediately wrapping his own arms around the boy as well. He relished in the warmth of it, as well as the wonderful feeling of Louis’ body so close to him. 

“No problem, Lou,” he said happily, sinking into the hug. 

After a few moments, the two went to pull away. But before either of them could leave, Louis grabbed Harry and leaned down to his ear. 

“It meant something to me too,” he murmured, his breath washing over Harry's face. 

The curly haired boy opened his mouth in surprise, feeling a pink tinge start to creep onto his face. 

But before he could say anything, Louis winked at him and turned around. All he could do was gape at the retreating form of the other teen as he ran back to the field.

“Oh my gosh,” whispered James. “Louis Tomlinson just came over here. Someone hold me, I might just pass out from the shock.”

“What did he say?” Aiden asked Harry curiously. 

Harry blushed even more at that, his face slowly going bright pink. He had to bite his lips hard to keep his mouth from splitting into a giant smile, but he couldn’t help the upward turn of his lips. “N-nothing,” he stammered. 

“Awe, you two are so cute together,” James gushed. 

Harry blushed even more. “W-we’re not- he’s not my- we’re not together,” stammered Harry, his eyes going wide. 

“Yet,” whispered James ominously. Harry chose to ignore him for two reasons. One was because he wasn’t sure if he could trust his voice to speak, and the other was because the game was starting on the field. 

Harry watched with a fond smile as the St Lilian team walked out onto the field. He saw Niall and Zayn both standing there proudly, wearing their uniforms with a determined look on their face. Louis was standing at the front of the group, looking confident and like a great leader. 

He looked up to the bleachers, and shot Harry a small, reassuring smile. 

But none of that stopped Harry’s breath from catching in his throat when the MountainRidge High team walked out into the field. They were all around six feet tall and looked to be three times the size of Harry. 

They seemed to tower over St Lilian. The captain of the team was standing opposite from Louis, and it was hard not to see the comparison. Where Louis now stood at around 5”11 on the dot, the other captain seemed to be five inches taller than him. 

“Oh crap,” Aiden muttered, his tone breathless. “Those are some big guys…”

“Look at those muscles…” James breathed. “They look like they could lift a whole bus. Maybe we won’t win this game after all…”

“Shut up, they’ll win,” interrupted Harry, but he was biting on his bottom lip nervously. “They can do this. They’re going to win, they have to.”

After the national anthem, the game started. St Lilian started off with the ball, with one of the guys dribbling the ball towards the net on the other side of the field. 

The crowd was going crazy, either cheering or booing. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the ball for long, since a guy from MountainRidge came out of nowhere and body checked him. 

The guy fell to the ground, as MountainRidge stole the ball. He passed it to another guy on his team, who sprinted down the line towards the net. 

Zayn was right on his heels and tried to steal the ball from him, but missed. Instead, the black haired boy went crashing to the ground. 

He jumped back up almost immediately, but it was too late. The MountainRidge team was already at the net, and they scored the first goal of the night. 

Harry bit his lip anxiously as he watched the MountainRidge team start cheering in excitement. All he could think was, ‘wow, they’re really good.’ 

Zayn was one of the best athletes on the team, and that other guy had completely dodged him and went straight for the goal. He now wasn’t feeling as confident as he had been just a few minutes ago. 

He quickly shook his head, shaking the thoughts away. ‘No, don’t think like that!’ he scolded himself mentally. ‘St Lilian has the best team in the league, they can do it! Niall, Zayn and Louis can do it!’ But even as he said those words to himself, he wasn’t so sure. 

Aiden seemed to read his thoughts. “Wow, they’re really good,” he breathed, watching the game with wide eyes. “I don’t know if we can beat them…”

“Of course we can,” snapped Harry, frowning. “They can do it. They’re the best there is and they can beat anyone. They’re going to win.”

Nobody else spoke or contradicted him on it, which he was grateful for. Their eyes were all glued onto the game, which was getting exceedingly aggressive as it went on. 

Everyone was being pushed to their limits, running faster and kicking harder than they ever had before in a game. 

As the game progressed, it was obvious that both teams were getting more and more rough with their playing. There were more fouls in that single game than Harry had ever seen. 

People were shoving one another and body-checking them to the ground. Each and every time, Harry would wince in sympathy as a St Lilian player hit the hard ground.

Halfway through the game, they were losing by three points. St Lilian had one point, while MountaiRidge had four. It was halftime, which meant that it was a much needed break for everyone. 

The players all made their way off the field, stumbling tiredly with their sore and sweaty bodies. 

“Are you still so sure they’re going to win?” Asked James. 

Harry didn’t respond, but he stood up. “I’m going to go see them,” he stated. 

“You’re not allowed down there,” Aiden said, reaching out a hand to stop him. “You’ll get in trouble for being down there.”

“I need to talk to them,” Harry insisted. “I have to go down and see Niall and Louis and Zayn. I have to go see them before they go back out. Inspire them or something, I don’t know.”

But James just pulled him back into his seat. “They’re trying their best, Harry,” he said. “They’re all doing the best they can, and they won’t do any better even if you go see them. All we can do now is support them whether they win or lose.”

Harry frowned at that. “But-”

“No buts. Now sit and calm down, there’s nothing we can do now but cheer for them as loudly as we can,” James said, cutting him off. 

Harry wanted to argue, but he didn’t. Deep down, he knew that the two boys were right, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to go down anyway. 

His friends had looked so tired and frustrated when they were coming off the field, and he really wanted to do something about it. But he couldn’t. 

The team came back out after the twenty minutes and walked onto the field. The crowd cheered for them as they all walked out. The kickoff then began and the game was started. 

Niall started with the ball and immediately started sprinting across the field. He didn’t get very far, because two more defenders came out of nowhere, but he managed to pass it to another guy on the team, Zeke. 

Zeke then ran to the net and kicked the ball as hard as he could. It went flying past the goalie and right into the net.  
The crowd jumped up, going wild. 

Sure, they only had half the amount of points as MountainRidge, but it was exciting. Harry jumped up in his seat, cheering loudly. Neither Aiden or James jumped up, but they were clapping. 

The game went on, with St Lilian slowly catching up. They scored two more goals and also prevented MountainRidge from getting any in. The crowd was going insane, jumping up and screaming. Both schools were going wild as the teams were tied. 

There was one minute left, and MountainRidge had the ball. The player was sprinting across the field as fast as he could, dribbling the ball in between his feet. 

But then Nick came out of nowhere, trying to steal the ball. It didn’t work, but the Mountain Ridge athlete was forced to try and score a goal. 

The ball was flying in the air, and was close to the net. But the St Lilian goalie, a guy named Ryan, jumped up and caught the ball in both hands. He then drop-kicked it across the field, right at Niall’s waiting feet. 

St Lilian was going crazy, jumping up and down and screaming. Harry was going wild as well, and nearly fell off the bleachers a few times in his excitement. “GO, NIALL!” He screamed at the top of his lungs, urging his best friend. 

The irish boy was so close to the net when a defender tackled him. Niall nearly lost the ball to the other side as he fell to the ground. But he managed to give one last forceful kick, as the ball flew further, before landing right beside Louis. 

There were ten seconds left in the game. The crowd held their breath as Louis caught the ball and took off towards the opposite net. He dodged a few more defenders, ducking expertly out of the way. 

His face was contorted in concentration, as he spun around another guy, before kicking the ball with all of his might. Everyone went dead silent as the ball flew towards the net. 

The buzzer rang out just as the ball went soaring into the net. 

The crowd went insane all over again. St Lilian won! Everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs, jumping up and down as they cheered excitedly. 

Harry jumped up from his seat and was running down the bleachers before anyone could stop him. 

He sprinted out into the field along with a few other people. Instantly, Louis spotted him and his face broke into a giant smile. 

“YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!” Harry screamed, running as fast as he could towards the other teen. 

They collided together at full force, running straight into each other’s waiting arms. 

Harry literally jumped onto the other boy, wrapping his legs around Louis’ waist tightly as he wrapped his arms around the back of his neck. Louis reacted by wrapping his arms around Harry’s legs, his hands firmly grasping his thighs. 

It all happened in an instant. Less than a second after they grabbed onto one another, Harry was gripping the back on his head and smashing their lips together. 

He felt Louis kiss back almost instantly, and sparks ignited between them. The kiss was fierce and fiery and desperate, as they moved against each other’s mouths harshly. It was electrifying. 

Harry pulled back as soon as he realized what he was doing. He looked down at Louis with giant eyes, his mouth swollen and gaping. 

Harry’s eyes went huge as he stared in horror back at the other boy. There was a string of spit still attaching their two lips, proof of what had just happened. 

“O-oh my gosh,” Harry stammered, feeling his breath pick up. “Oh my gosh. I-I- oh God.”

Louis was just looking at him with a smile, his blue eyes still dancing with excitement. He hadn’t yet dropped Harry in disgust, which the curly haired boy half expected him to. 

Instead, he actually held on tighter when Harry squirmed ever so slightly. 

For some reason, that only made Harry panic even more. “L-Louis, I-” he stammered, a bright red colour appearing on his cheeks. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t mean to- I just- oh my gosh- I’m so sorry-”

“Harry,” Louis said softly, completely cutting off the other boy’s rambling. He was still looking at him with his beautiful doe eyes that were crinkling in the corner from smiling. His soft voice caused Harry to immediately shut up. “Harry, it’s alright.”

Harry paused for a long moment, looking in the other’s blue eyes for any sign that he was lying. He didn’t find any, only love and earnesty. “Yeah?” He breathed nervously. 

“Yeah,” responded Louis breathlessly. 

Harry then noticed that people seemed to be a whole lot quieter around them. He didn’t have to turn his head around to already know what- or who- they were looking at. 

“They’re all staring, aren’t they?” He asked with a wince. 

“They are,” Louis replied, his eyes flicking back down to Harry’s lips. “So why don’t we give them something to look at…”

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat again at the comment, but managed to nod his head a little in conformation. 

Louis, needing no other prompting, reached his head up and captured Harry’s lips once more in his own. It was just as fiery and made sparks erupt along Harry’s body as he kissed back fiercely. 

They continued kissing for a few long moments, before they were broken apart by the sound of someone whistling loudly. 

They broke apart, both of them now flushed and breathless. Besides that one catcaller, everyone else was nearly silent. 

Harry had to crane his neck around to see behind himself from where he was still in Louis’ arms. He looked over his shoulder, only to see people looking at him with wide eyes and slacked open jaws in shock.

His eyes found Eleanor Calder, who looked like she was about to pass out or murder someone. He then saw Perrie, who looked like Christmas had come early, and then Niall and Zayn, who were sharing knowing looks. 

“GET IT, TOMMO!” One of the footie guys shouted, causing a few other people to cheer loudly as well. 

Harry felt his face flush bright red, which he tried desperately to hide behind his hands. Louis on the other hand, had his face practically splitting from the huge smile on his face. 

Harry bit his bright red and swollen lip nervously, looking around. There were a few people who were scowling at them in disgust or in anger, which caused his stomach to twist into anxious knots. They looked so judgemental and harsh, and made him feel very uncomfortable. 

“I have to go,” Harry murmured, squirming around in Louis’ arms to get him to let go. He unhooked his legs, before dropping back down to the ground. 

Louis frowned, shooting him a quizzical look. “What? Where are you going? Is something wrong? Harry-”

“Are you going to the party?” Harry interrupted, cutting him off. Louis nodded slowly, still frowning. But Harry just shot him a small smile. “Great, I’ll see you there.”

“Harry-” Louis started. 

But the curly haired boy just turned back and shot him a small smile. “I’ll see you at the party, Lou.” 

With that, he quickly ran across the field, his heart pounding painfully inside of his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I have to say: that was hot...
> 
> And if you thought that this was spicy, get ready for the next chapter ;)


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, we’re getting somewhere! I don’t know about you guys, but I found that chapter HOT.
> 
> Anyways, hope you like this one!
> 
> As always, you guys are fantastic and you comments always bring a smile to my face.
> 
> All the love ❤️

“Niall, I’m freaking out!” Harry shouted, gripping his hair in his fists as he paced around his dorm bathroom. His hand was clutching the phone tightly, so tightly that his knuckles were completely white. 

_ “Calm down, Harry,”  _ Niall responded, his voice echoing through the phone speaker. “ _ It was a kiss, okay. And if I remember correctly, he kissed you back. So try and calm down.” _

_   
_ “I can’t calm down!” The teen yelled back, taking an angry seat onto the toilet. “I don’t know what to do! I kissed freaking Louis Tomlinson! I KISSED him in front of the whole school! So don’t tell me to calm down!”

  
_ “Haz, you’re panicking,”  _ Niall said. “ _ Take a few deep breaths. You’re really making this a bigger deal than it has to be. I kiss people all the time, and I never freak out like this.” _

_   
_ Harry groaned. “But I’m not like you, Ni. I don’t- I’m not- it wasn’t just a kiss!”

_ “Ok, H,”  _ Niall replied. “ _ Maybe it wasn’t just a kiss for you, and maybe it wasn’t just a kiss for him. But it already happened, and you can’t change anything now. Sitting on the toilet in our washroom is not going to make anything better either.” _

_   
_ “What do I do then?” Asked Harry, running a hand through his messy curls. 

  
_ “Come to the party. Almost everyone is already here, including Louis. You told him you would be here, remember?”  _ Niall said. “ _ So you better get you fine booty up off of that toilet and over here now.” _

_   
_ Harry closed his eyes, running a hand over his face. “I don’t know, Ni,” he mumbled. “This is a lot. I don’t think I’m ready to go out again tonight.”

  
_ “Harry, you’re never ready to go out,”  _ Niall pointed out. “ _ And you better come over here. You promised me that you would come to any party I want, and I choose this one.” _

_   
_ “Niall…” whined Harry, but he was cut off by his friend. 

  
_ “You have ten minutes to get over here.” _

_   
_ With that, the call ended and Harry was left alone in the washroom. He groaned at Niall for hanging up on him when he needed someone to talk to, but realized that his friend was probably right. 

After all, what was the point in sitting in his dorm all by himself when he could be seeing Louis and his friends at the party? 

But what if Louis regretted the kiss? What if he hadn’t actually meant any of the things he had said earlier that night? What if it had just been the nerves about the game that had made him say all of those things? 

_ ‘No,’  _ Harry said mentally, shaking the thoughts away. ‘ _ Don’t think like that.’ _

The thoughts running through his head were just making him even more nervous, so he just shoved them out of his mind and stood up from the toilet. 

He walked over to the mirror and looked at his reflection with a frown. His curls were completely messed up from when he was pulling on them, and were falling all in his face. 

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do for them other than run a hand through them to try to tame them. Of course, they bounced back to their natural look, but at least he looked less frazzled. 

Harry looked down at his clothes and realized that he was, in fact, wearing a hoodie and sweats. 

Obviously that wouldn’t do, so he quickly ran to his closet and rummaged around for a few seconds. He finally pulled out the tightest pair of black skinny jeans that he could find and put them on. He then pulled out a plain black button up and put that on as well. 

He then rolled up the sleeves to his elbows and looked at himself in the mirror. 

_ ‘Perfect,’  _ he smiled. ‘ _ Not too fancy, but better than sweats.’ _

He then checked the time, realizing that it was nearly ten minutes from when Niall had called him. So he ran, grabbing his phone and his keys, before sprinting out of the dorm. 

***

Harry headed straight to the party at the Pebble Stone building in a hurry. He knew instantly which floor it was on, because he could see the lights and hear the music from outside. As always, it was on the seventh floor. 

He headed up the elevator, before hopping off. He was greeted by the loud sound of the pounding music. 

His eardrums were thumping wildly as he headed to the main party dorm, where the party was going down. He passed a few other rooms that were crowded with people either making out or grinding on each other. He tried his best not to look at any of them, just heading straight to the dorm. 

Harry walked into the crowded and sweaty room, and was already regretting showing up. He winced as a few sweaty bodies bumped into him on accident, nearly spilling their drinks on him.

The dorm was even more crowded than usual as the MountainRidge school had stuck around for the party. 

Harry made his way through the crowd, his eyes searching the room. He couldn’t find either Niall or Zayn in the crowd, but he assumed that they were probably at the bar, revelling in the attention and getting drunk together. 

He was about to head over to find them when someone else caught his eye.

He spotted Louis, standing in the middle of a huge crowd, a giant smile on his face. His eyes were dancing and crinkling in the corners, as he was surrounded by cheering people. 

Harry instantly smiled at the sight of him, and started walking towards him. 

He was four feet away from Louis, when someone jumped onto the other boy. He saw Louis stumble back a little, before looking down with wide eyes to see Eleanor Calder clutching onto him.

She had her head thrown back in laughter, and was clearly a little bit tipsy. Harry watched in horror as he jumped up and slammed his lips against Louis’. 

The crowd immediately started ‘oohing’ and catcalling while she continued to make out with the boy. 

They kissed for at least four more seconds before Harry was able to rip his gaze away from the two of them and take a shaky step back. 

Harry felt his heart stop beating inside of his chest as they finally separated. He was frozen in place, completely shocked by what he had just seen. He could barely breathe, his chest feeling uncomfortably tight.

He heard a few people shout his name from the group, but he didn’t turn back around. Tears were stinging at his eyes as he stumbled away, biting his lip painfully. 

_ ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid!’  _ He shouted at himself, pushing his way through the group of people.  _ ‘How can I be so stupid!? How could I possibly have thought that he would have liked me- or that he would have wanted to kiss me! Stupid, stupid Harry!’ _

“Harry!” Louis shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the music. “HARRY!”

Harry didn’t turn back, and he quickly wiped the tears that were stinging his eyes away furiously. Louis wasn’t worth crying over. 

He could tell that people were still catcalling and cheering but they were also shouting his name. But Harry didn’t face them again, just continued pushing through the many sweaty teenagers. 

Finally, he got to the bar and instantly spotted Niall and Zayn. The two of them were clearly already starting to get tipsy, and were becoming louder and more loose. 

Harry walked over to them, before pulling up a stool and sitting down. 

“Heya, Harry!” Zayn exclaimed happily, slinging an arm over the curly haired boy’s shoulders. He was so close that Harry could smell the alcohol on his breath. “Whatcha doing over here!?”

Harry didn’t reply, just snapped his fingers to get the barista’s attention. “Hey, I need a beer right now,” he snapped. 

Niall frowned at him. “Are you okay?” He asked, sounding more sober than just a moment before. “Hey, what happened? Are you okay? Where’s Louis? Were you crying?”

  
“I’m fine,” Harry said through gritted teeth. “I just need to get as drunk as possible right now. For the love of god, what is taking so long!”

  
Zayn and Niall exchanged worried looks. “Harry,” Zayn said reproachfully, frowning at the smaller teenager. “Haz, what happened? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong! I’m fine! Just peachy! Now give me that!” Harry practically shouted at them, grabbing the beer that Zayn had been drinking out of. 

He grabbed the cup, before bringing it to his lips and knocking it back. He chugged it in a total of eleven seconds, the burning sensation nearly causing him to choke it back up all over again. 

“Harry-” Niall started, before he was interrupted by someone else. 

  
“HEY EVERYONE, STYLES IS CHUGGING!” Some random guy yelled out, clapping Harry on the back and passing him another beer. A group of people at the bar immediately looked over and started cheering and chanting.    
“CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!” They chanted, banging happily on the tables as they egged the boy on. 

Harry shrugged at his friends. “I’m fine,” he answered shortly. “Actually, I’m better than fine! I’m going to chug this beer and then get drunk out of my mind!” 

And before any of his friends could say anything else to him, Harry had jumped up onto a table and lifted the beer to his lips once again.

Across the room, he briefly made eye contact with Louis. The boy was watching him with wide eyes from across the room, clearly shocked. Harry just scoffed at him, before tipping the drink backwards and chugging the drink in one go. 

The group went crazy, and now almost the entire room was watching him. Suddenly drunk and much braver than he normally would be, Harry jumped up on the table. 

“Woo hoo!” He cheered, nearly falling over. “Someone get me some shots!”

Some random person almost instantly appeared with about five shots of vodka in tiny cups. Harry’s eyes glinted at the sight, knowing that he was about to get completely out-of-his-mind drunk. 

But it would be worth it if it meant that he could stop thinking about a certain blue eyed boy. 

So with that in mind, he grabbed the shots and started drinking. 

“GO STYLES!” They cheered loudly, encouraging Harry as he grabbed the shots. 

Harry lifted the cup for the group to see, before tipping it into his mouth. 

The alcohol burned it’s way down his throat, causing his entire body to feel on fire. He grimaced in disgust briefly, before swallowing the entire thing. Everyone went crazy all over again, causing Harry to jump up in victory. 

He must have either been too tipsy already or just too dazed to realize that he was at the end of the counter, when he slipped.

“Oops!” He exclaimed, toppling off of the counter unceremoniously. He closed his eyes and braced for impact, when he felt two strong arms tighten around his waist.

After a second, Harry opened his eyes. He looked up in confusion, only to see two blue eyes looking back at him. “You’re drunk, Harry,” Louis said with a frown. 

“Oh, it’s you,” Harry scowled, suddenly feeling not nearly drunk enough. He pushed himself out of the football captain’s arms, swaying unsteadily on his own two feet. He felt Louis grab hold of him again, holding him steady. 

“Harry, you’re gonna fall over,” Louis reprimanded when the smaller boy started struggling against his grip. 

Harry scowled at him again, finally succeeding in freeing himself. “What do you care?” He snapped, glaring. “Why can’t you just leave me alone and go back to Eleanor. I’m sure both of you would love to have another snog session!”

“Harry…” 

“This guy bothering you?” A guy asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Harry turned around in surprise by the new voice, squinting to get a better look at him. 

He was tall and broad with dark hair and dark eyes. His deep voice matched his athletic body perfectly, and Harry could tell that he was good looking, even though he was also blurry. 

“Um…” Harry said dumbly, looking from the handsome stranger to Louis a few times. The stranger had held Harry’s elbow gently, keeping him steady while Louis just stood there and glared at him. “Actually, yes he is,” Harry responded finally, causing Louis to look at him in shock. 

The guy smiled. “In that case, wanna dance?” 

“Yep!” Harry said, forcing himself to smile loosely and ignore Louis next to him. “But I have to warn you, I can get pretty dirty when I’m drunk.”

“In that case I’ll have to buy you another drink as well,” the guy said. Harry burst out laughing at the comeback, smiling triumphantly when he noticed Louis becoming more and more agitated by the second. 

But Harry just ignored him, and skipped towards the dancefloor with the handsome guy next to him, leaving Louis in the dust behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I’m so, so, so sorry for leaving you all in pain again!!! Fluff is coming soon! I repeat, fluff is coming soon!


	22. Chapter 22

“Ow, ow, ow, ow,” Harry groaned, bringing a hand up to clutch his throbbing head in pain. He whimpered at the touch, squeezing his eyes shut. His head was killing him. It was throbbing painfully against his head and made him want to cry. 

“Ah, sleeping beauty has awoken,” a voice said from across the room. 

He heard footsteps walking towards him, before he felt a hand tapping him lightly against the cheek. 

Harry groaned at the contact, burying his face further into the blankets. “Come on, babe. Time to get up.”

“Ow,” Harry murmured, wincing in pain. “‘M head…”

He then heard a second voice. “I’d be worried if your head didn’t hurt. You’ve got one hell of a hangover, mate,” they chuckled. 

Harry only frowned even more, trying to hide his face in the pillow that was under his head. 

“Leave me ‘lone,” he mumbled. “Let me die in peace.”

The first person laughed cheerily, the sound causing Harry’s head to throb even harder. “Not a chance. You’ve been sleeping for most of the day. Time to rise and shine,” they said. 

Harry scowled at the thought, his eyes still firmly closed. “No,” he whined. “‘M not getting up.”

“Fine, have it your way,” the second voice said. 

At first, Harry took that to mean that he would finally be left alone and get back to sleep, and he smiled to himself. He burrowed back into the blankets again, closing his eyes with a sigh. 

He was just about to drift off again to sleep again, when all of a sudden there was ice cold water being thrown onto him. 

Harry cried out in surprise, his eyes flying open as he shot up in bed. His eyes snapped over to the side of the bed, seeing Niall looking at him with a quirked eyebrows. 

“NIALL!” Harry shrieked in shock, bringing his arms around to hug his shivering body. “What are you doing?!”

Niall just rolled his eyes. “Waking you up. What did you think?” He replied sassily, placing the bucket that he had used back into the bathroom. 

“You didn’t have to nearly drown me!” Harry yelled back, whining when his head throbbed painfully against his skull. 

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” Zayn answered, appearing suddenly out of nowhere. He walked over to the bed, with a glass of water and a pill in his hand. 

Harry grumbled under his breath, but accepted the pill and glass. He placed the painkiller onto his tongue, before taking a big gulp of water. He winced as he swallowed, before sighing at the relief in his head. 

“Ugh, why do I feel this way?” He grumbled, massaging his temples. “What happened last night?”

“What didn’t happen last night?!” Snorted Niall from the bathroom. “Honestly, H. Don’t tell me you don’t remember any of it?”

Harry frowned at that, completely confused. He racked his brain for any recollection of what could have happened the night before. Clearly he had gotten drunk, but he hardly remembered any of it. 

“Uh, not really…” he trailed off when he couldn’t remember. “Why? What happened?”

“You probably don’t even want to know,” Zayn answered, shaking his head a little. “Trust me when I say that it was not one of your proudest nights of high school.”

But that only made Harry even more curious. “What happened?” He begged. “Please, Z. I wanna know.”

Zayn looked at his pleading eyes, before sighing. The bed dipped a little as he sat down. “Fine, I’ll tell you,” he said finally. “But first, what’s the last thing you remember happening last night?”

Harry frowned in concentration. “Umm, I remember the game?” He said slowly. “I remember talking to Louis before the game, and then I remember winning. I, uh, remember the kiss. Umm… then I went to the party.” 

“You don’t remember anything from the party?” Niall pressed, walking into the bedroom with them. 

“Wait, I do,” Harry started, before frowning all over again as the memories flooded back to him. His face hardened. “I went to the party to find you guys, but instead I found Eleanor and Louis eating each other’s faces off.”

Zayn and Niall both exchanged glances. “We didn’t know that,” Niall said quietly. “God, I’m sorry, Haz…”

“Whatever,” Harry said shortly, shaking his head as he cut the boy off. “It’s fine. It happened. Anyway, what did I do last night?”

“Harry…” Niall tried again. 

But the curly haired boy just cut him off again. “It happened, Niall. I’m fine. Well, I’m not fine, but we can’t do anything about that. So just tell me what happened, and don’t sugar coat anything. Give it to me straight and don’t leave anything out.”

“Alright,” Zayn said, continuing. “So after that, you came over to the bar where Niall and I were sitting and said that you needed to be as drunk as possible. First you stole my beer, then you ordered your own. After that, I think you drank a third before someone got out shots. You took a few of those until you were so wasted you couldn’t stand straight.”

“That’s not all,” Niall cut in. “You jumped up onto the bar and started chugging. The whole school was practically gathered around you and kept chanting as you drank a crap ton of alcohol.”

Harry groaned, burying his face into his hands. “And that’s not all, is it?” He asked miserably. 

“Not even close,” Zayn said sympathetically. “Are you sure you want to hear the rest of it?”

Harry nodded. “Positive.”

Niall sighed heavily. “So after that, you fell off the bar and onto Louis. He said some stuff to you and I’m guessing it wasn’t good, because you looked really angry. Then some guy came by and offered you a drink and a dance. You said yes, and you were then completely drunk and you went onto the dance floor with him.”

“I did?” Harry asked, shocked. Sure, he had been drunk out of his mind, but he had hoped that he was at least cautious when he was out of it. Apparently not. 

Zayn nodded. “You got a little too into it though, and pretty soon the guy was about to take him home with him. We had to drag you away from him. Actually, I’m pretty sure the guy was Patrick Harrison, the captain of MountainRidge. Well, Lou wasn’t too happy about that and he also got a little drunk as well.”

Harry frowned at that. “I was going to go home with him?” He asked skeptically. 

“Well, not exactly. I’m pretty sure Patrick was just going to drag you home with him. But I think if it came down to it, Louis wouldn’t have let him go anywhere,” Niall said with a shrug. “Anyway, wanna hear the rest?”

“There’s more?” Harry moaned. 

Zayn bit his lip and patted his friend comfortingly on the shoulder. 

“Unfortunately, there’s a lot more,” he said. “After that fiasco, Patrick went home and you started getting a little wild. You sorta jumped onto a table and started complaining loudly about how hot it was, so then you sorta started stripping in front of the school…”

“STRIPPING?!” Harry yelled, before wincing when his head pounded uncomfortably again. He grimaced, before speaking more quietly. “This is crazy…”

Niall snorted. “Uh, yeah it was. You only took your shirt off, before you got trapped in the sleeves and fell off the table again.”

The two boys then fell silent suddenly, both biting their lips and looking nervous all of a sudden.

Harry frowned, seeing their demeanour change. “What is it?” He asked, urging them on. When they didn’t respond, he gave an exasperated sigh. “Come on guys, I can tell that there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Zayn gave Niall a subtle nod, causing the blond boy to take a deep breath. “Ok H, I’ll tell you. But you have to promise me that you won’t freak out…”

“Just tell me already!” Harry exclaimed, tired of waiting. 

“Promise us first,” Zayn insisted.   
Harry rolled his eyes. “Fine. I promise I won’t freak out. Now get on with it and tell me what I did.”

Niall bit his lip. “Well, your sorta went to the dancefloor with Louis. And you were, like, grinding on him and stuff. Then you sorta confessed your love for him really loudly. Then you two started making out…”

“WHAT?!” Harry yelled, his eyes going wide. “HOW- WHAT- NO! THIS ISN’T HAPPENING! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!”

“You said you would freak out!” Niall shouted, covering his ears to block out the loud teen. 

“THAT WAS BEFORE YOU TOLD ME THAT I MADE OUT WITH LOUIS TOMLINSON!” Harry shrieked, gripping the ends of his hair. “This can’t be happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t-”

“Harry, calm down, okay?” Zayn said soothingly, placing a hand onto the other boy’s shoulder. “It’s probably not as bad as you think it is.”

“How can’t it be as bad as I think it is?!” Snapped Harry, his eyes flashing. “I was literally grinding- grinding, Zayn!- on Louis! Then I basically told everyone I loved him and made out! Don’t tell me that it isn’t as bad as I think it is!”

Zayn put his hands up in surrender, looking at the boy with wide eyes. “Woah, calm down, Harry, before you work yourself up.”

Harry groaned, shoving his face into his hands. “This is horrible,” he moaned. “I’ll have to switch schools and never show my face here ever again. I’ll have to change my name and move to another city…”

Niall rubbed a few slow circles onto the boy’s back. “Oh hush now,” he said comfortingly. “There are many worse things that can happen to you other than kissing your crush.”

“But I was drunk!” Harry protested. “It doesn’t count if you’re drunk and horny as hell! I don’t even remember it!” His eyes grew suddenly wide, and he looked up at his friends and paled. “Wait, does Louis know what happened?”

“We don’t know,” Zayn answered truthfully. “He was also pretty drunk that night. He might not remember. But even if he doesn’t, he’ll know soon enough. Gossip travels crazy fast here. I bet the entire school knows by now…”

Niall shot the dark haired boy a glare and Harry just groaned again. “Shut up,” Niall hissed at his friend, before turning back to Harry. “It’s fine, Haz. Who knows, maybe this could be your chance to tell him how you feel!”

“I was going to do that anyway, but now I can’t because of this whole thing!” Harry whined. “I’ve completely ruined everything!”

“You haven’t ruined everything, Haz. You just needed a little push, and you got it,” Niall said. 

“I didn’t want a little push,” Harry moaned into his hands. “I was doing just fine on my own. No pushing was necessary! And now everyone in the school knows- there will be all kinds of rumors!” 

Zayn looked sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Harry,” he said with a frown. “I know that this isn’t how you wanted things to go, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t end up bad. Maybe this is just a minor setback. Not everything is ruined just yet.”

Harry nodded miserably. “What am I going to do?” He asked desperately. “Where is Louis? Does he know what happened, or will I have to tell him? Does he remember any of it anyway?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Niall asked grimly, looking down at his phone.   
Harry’s eyes went wide. “Ask him myself?! What do you mean, ‘ask him yourself!?’” He squeaked. “What does that mean, Niall!? How can I ask him myself? Please, please, please tell me he isn’t here!”

“He’s not here. Yet,” the irish boy said. “But he just texted me and told me that he was on his way over. He should be here in three minutes.”

“Three minutes!?” Harry yelped, looking at his friend with wide eyes. “I can’t see him in three minutes! I’m soaking wet and hungover!”

“Louis is going to be hungover as well,” Zayn pointed out. “But if you want, I can send him back to his own dorm, at least for a little while?”

Harry frowned, considering that. After a few moments, he exhaled heavily before shaking his head. “No, that wouldn’t change anything. He’ll just come back later, and I won’t be any more prepared then. Might as well just face him now rather than later…”

Niall nodded, pulling the curly haired boy into a hug. “Good lad, Haz,” he said comfortingly. “Don’t worry, this will all work itself out. And even if it doesn’t, Zayn and I aren’t going anywhere.”

“Thanks, Ni,” Harry murmured, leaning into the hug. 

“No problem, babe,” Niall replied, pulling out of the hug. “Zayn and I will be in my bedroom if you need anything. Also, you might want to put on some different clothes; those ones are wet and stink.”

Harry laughed, feeling a small bit of relief. “Yeah,” he breathed. “Will do.”

Zayn checked his phone, frowning. “He’s gonna be here soon, so you might wanna get changed quickly. Niall and I are gonna go now, shout if you need us.”

Harry nodded. Niall bent down, placing a quick kiss onto the boy’s forehead, before walking out of the room with Zayn. They closed the door behind them, leaving Harry alone in his bedroom. 

He sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes tiredly. What he really wanted to do was roll over into his bed and pretend that none of it had ever happened. He wanted to forget about the party and Louis, and go back to being ‘just Harry.’ 

But he couldn’t do that. 

So instead, he pushed himself off of his bed with much difficulty. He quickly stripped his bed down to the sheets, throwing the duvet into the corner. He then quickly pulled off his shirt and jeans, and threw them back into the corner as well. Then he grabbed a new pair of sweats and another duvet, before settling back into bed. 

If he was going to have to face Louis, he was at least going to be doing it from the comfort of his own bed and blankets.   
He was just settling back in, when he heard the sound of the door being thrown open. 

Apparently, Louis wasn’t into knocking. He heard footsteps running towards his bedroom. It was only a second before his own door was flung open.

Louis was standing there, looking completely frazzled. His hair was sticking up messily everywhere, looking unruly and dirty. His face was pale with dark purple bags under his eyes, and he looked very tired. His clothes were rumpled and looked like he had just thrown them on. 

Harry cleared his throat. “Uhh, hey,” he murmured quietly. 

Louis blinked at him a few times, before swallowing. “Hey,” he said awkwardly. “Can I, uh, can I come in?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, of course,” he said. 

Louis nodded, taking a small step inside and closing the door behind him with a soft click. He stood there for a moment, chewing on his lip and looking very unsure of what to do. Harry frowned at that. 

“Wanna sit?” He offered, patting the bed next to him. 

“Umm, sure…” Louis said, taking a few tentative steps forward. He then sat down onto the bed, the mattress dipping at the newly added weight. 

Harry chewed on his lip, looking downwards. He was playing with the hem of his shirt nervously, feeling Louis’ eyes staring at him. He finally took a deep breath. “So, umm, the party-” he started anxiously. 

“I didn’t mean to kiss Eleanor,” Louis blurted out, his eyes wide. Harry looked over at him in surprise by the outburst, his mouth parting open. 

“I-uh-” he stammered, blinking a few times. “Wait, what?”

Louis took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to kiss her,” he said, slower this time. “I was at the party and she came over to me. I was already a little tipsy and she just sorta threw herself onto me. I didn’t know what was happening at first, and when I did, I shoved her away. But it was too late by then…”

Harry gaped for a few seconds in disbelief. “Y-you didn’t mean to kiss her?” He stuttered. 

Louis shook his head honestly. “No, of course not.”

“O-oh,” Harry said, biting his lip. A feeling of relief seeped into him, and he had to keep himself from smiling out of joy. “That’s, umm, that’s good, right?”

“Yeah. That’s good,” Louis swallowed, nodding a little. 

Harry was about to start smiling at his words, before the rest of the night came flooding back to him. His breath hitched in his throat, and he cast a nervous look over at the other boy. “Do you remember anything else? From last night?”

“I mean, only bits and pieces,” Louis admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “I was pretty wasted. I remember watching you chug on top of the counter and then go dancing with Patrick Harrison, but that’s about it.”

Harry cringed at that. “Yeah…” he said awkwardly. “I was completely drunk by then, or else I definitely wouldn’t have done that.” He then stopped and frowned. “Have you, uh, have you heard anything else that happened last night?”

Louis nodded sheepishly, his face turning pink. “Umm, yeah…” he murmured, glancing down at his hands. “I know that we were dancing and then kissed…”

“Yeah…” Harry trailed off. “That must have been some night. Too bad neither of us can remember anything…”

“Yeah…” Louis agreed quietly. He paused, before turning to look at the curly haired boy. “This doesn’t- this doesn’t change anything. Between us? We’re still good, right?”

Harry looked at him, seeing his wide and fearful blue eyes. He smiled, nodding honestly. “We’re still good,” he said quickly. “Of course we’re still good. Last night… last night was just one night. It doesn’t, you know, change anything between us.”

“Good,” breathed Louis, relieved. “I was worried that you wouldn’t want to hang around with me anymore after what happened.”

“Really?” Harry asked in shock. “I thought that you were going to be the one who didn’t want to hang around with me anymore. I thought you would be, like, weirded out by me or something.”

Louis shook his head, smiling fondly. “I could never be weirded out by you- at least, not as much as I already am.”

Harry frowned playfully, hitting his arm lightly. “Hey!” He whined. “I’m not that weird!”

Louis smiled at him, poking him in the ribcage, causing the curly haired boy to squeak. “You’re the weirdest!” He exclaimed, teasingly. He then poked Harry in the ribs again, causing him to squeal in laughter. 

“Louis, stop it!” He giggled, trying to push the other boy off of him. “I’m too hungover for a tickle fight!”

Louis smiled, but stopped tickling him. He shifted away slightly, and Harry instantly missed having him so close. But instead of saying so, he just scooched over to him. 

“You’re hungover?” The teen asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. 

Harry nodded, before wincing at the movement. “Mmhmm.”

“Makes sense. You look like shit.”  
Harry gasped, glaring playfully. “Hey!” He whined. “You’re one to talk! You look like crap too!”

“Well then I guess we’re both hungover,” Louis said, yawning. 

“I guess,” Harry agreed with a shrug. “Well, since we’re both already hungover and looking like shit, we might as well do something together.”

He half expected Louis to say no or make an excuse, but the boy just shrugged. 

“Sure, what do you want to do?” He asked.   
“Wanna watch a movie?” Suggested Harry hopefully, nodding towards the TV mounted on his wall. 

Louis nodded. “Sure, sounds great,” he replied. “What do you wanna watch?”

“Disney,” Harry answered almost instantly, nodding firmly. “I wanna watch a Disney movie- if that’s alright with you…”

Louis smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling in the sides. “Disney sounds perfect,” he answered, leaning back into the pillows on the bed. 

He was lying in the middle of the bed on the pillows, his arms spread out as he took up most of the space. That left only the last bit at the edge of the bed.

Harry picked up the remote and quickly scrolled through Disney Plus, before finding a movie. He clicked on Lilo And Stitch, before settling back against the pillows. He was lying near the edge since Louis was already taking up the majority of the space. 

He had just leaned back onto the edge, when Louis looked over at him in confusion. “What are you doing?” He asked, furrowing his brow. 

“What do you mean?” Asked Harry. “I’m just watching the movie.”

“I mean, what are you doing way over there?” Louis clarified, still frowning as he motioned to where Harry was cramped on the edge.

Harry blushed, biting his lip and looking down. “I was just, you know- I didn’t know if you wanted to- I was just giving you space…”

Louis just shook his head. “Oh, Harry,” he said fondly, hooking his arm under the other boy’s body and pulling him over. He pulled Harry over against his own body, so that they were cuddled up closely together.

Harry looked up at him in surprise, but allowed himself to be pulled over. He settled into Louis’ side, lying his head against the other boy’s shoulder and draping an arm over his stomach. 

“This good?” He asked nervously. 

He felt Louis squeeze his body comfortingly. “This is great,” he breathed.   
Harry smiled, snuggling up to the older boy happily before looking over to watch the rest of the movie. He decided then that he would be more than content to spend the rest of his life being held by Louis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT!!!!
> 
> So I’m going away for a few days and I won’t be on the internet. Because of this I won’t be able to write, reply or update for a several days. So sorry, but I’ll be back soon.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being so late! I was away, but I’m back now and ready to update for you guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

It was Halloween night, and Harry was giddy with excitement. Halloween was always his favourite part of October and he always got really excited every year. Sure, the holiday was mostly meant for younger kids, but that didn’t stop Harry. 

Some might find it strange that he liked the holiday so much. For one, he didn’t like scary things. He couldn’t even watch a scary movie without getting terrified. He didn’t watch any horror movies or creepy movies of any kind. 

Second, he was too old to trick or treat and dress up (even though it was tempting.) 

Another reason was that he hardly ever ate candy any other time of the year, and was usually one of the healthiest people at St Lilian. 

But Harry liked it a lot. He liked watching the kids run to a bunch of different houses, dressed up in their cute costumes.   
He liked decorating the dorm up in creepy and fun decorations. He liked baking Halloween inspired treats. And he liked eating a bunch of candy until he was sick. 

So he was very, very excited when October 31 finally came around. The entire day at school, it was all he talked about and all he thought about. He was too excited to pay attention in class, and barely ate anything throughout the day, because he was going to be eating a crap ton of candy and wanted to prepare himself. 

So when the school bell rang, signalling the end of the day, Harry jumped up from his seat. He barely spent a second at his locker, instead just dashing out of the building. He didn’t even wait for Niall, Louis or Zayn like he usually did. He just sprinted straight to his dorm. 

When Harry got there, he flung open the door and immediately rushed over to the supply closet that they had. The closet had tons of decorations, both for Halloween and for Christmas (his favourite holiday.) 

Harry grabbed armfuls of decorations, before running across the dorm and putting them all up. From the fake spiders, the black tinsel and the huge witch’s pot, he was well stocked. 

There were many more, but those were the bigger ones and the ones he was most proud of.

That was how Niall, Louis and Zayn found the place. ‘It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ was playing on the TV while Halloween music was blasting from his speaker. 

The entire dorm was decked out in decorations, with bins and boxes scattered along the floor.

“Woah,” Zayn breathed, nearly walking straight into a fake spider web that was hanging over the doorway. He poked it with his hand, watching with wide eyes as he sprung back. 

“This is…” Louis said, looking around the dorm with wide eyes. “This is... a lot. Woah is right.”

“Harry!” Called Niall, walking into the dorm as he searched for the curly haired boy. Harry was nowhere to be seen, which was odd considering that he would usually be bustling around the dorm. “Harry! Where are you?”

“I’m in here!” Harry squeaked from down the hall. The boys furrowed their brows as they walked towards the sound of his voice. 

When they couldn’t find the curly haired boy, they approached the storage closet.

They then promptly burst out laughing.   
Harry was sitting in a large storage bin, with his legs dangling on either edge. 

He was wrapped from head to toe in tinsel and spiderwebs that were tying his arms together. He was stuck in the bin, completely unable to move. 

He pouted when the boys started laughing at him. “Hey!” He whined, struggling in the bin. “Stop laughing! It’s not funny!”

“Oh my god, Haz!” Niall cackled loudly, clutching his stomach. “Are you stuck?! This is hilarious!”

He was laughing so loudly that tears had started to gather in his eyes, and he was gasping for breath in between bursts of laughter. The other two boys weren’t much better off either, as both Zayn and Louis were laughing just as loud.

“How did this even happen?!” Zayn exclaimed, gasping for breath. 

Harry frowned at them, struggling in the bin, as he tried to get free, unsuccessfully. 

He groaned when he couldn’t get out, letting his head drop back. “Guys, stop laughing! It isn’t funny!” He whined, squirming around uncomfortably. 

“Only you could get stuck in a bin, Harry. Only you,” Louis chuckled fondly, shaking his head a little at the boy. 

Harry pouted, jutting out his bottom lip. “Stop making fun of me and help me out,” he pleaded. He paused for a moment, before adding, “please?”

“Alright, alright,” Niall said, still smiling. “Just after I take a picture,” he added, whipping his phone out of his pocket. 

Before Harry even had time to react, his friend had snapped a picture of him in the bin, catching him completely off guard. 

“No, Niall!” Harry yelped, trying to cover his face with his hands miserably. “Niall, don’t! Delete it!”

Niall just laughed evilly, tapping on the picture. “No can do, Haz,” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t deprive the world of this beauty, now can I? Do you guys wanna see?” He quickly showed the picture to the other two guys. 

Zayn smiled widely. “Lovely,” he exclaimed. “Are you gonna post that on Instagram?”

“No!” Harry yelped desperately. But the other three just pretended not to hear him.

“I was thinking of putting it on my story,” Niall said, completely ignoring the boy. “How does the caption ‘Decorating Gone Wrong’ sound?”

“Perfect,” the raven haired teen said with a toothy smile. 

Harry just groaned again, miserably. “Can you just help me out already?” He begged. “I can barely feel my butt anymore. It’s gonna fall off if I’m in here anymore.”

Louis smiled at him, giving in. “Alright then,” he said finally. “But only because you asked so nicely. And we wouldn’t want your lovely ass to fall off either.”

With that, he leaned down and grabbed Harry’s trapped hands. With the tinsel keeping Harry from moving, it was hard to get out even with help. 

But Louis managed to pull him out of the bin with one yank of his arms.

“Oof!” Harry grunted when he was yanked upwards, staggering on his feet once he stood up. “Thanks Lou, you’re the only nice one here anymore! Those two are meanies!”

“Oh don’t be such a baby,” Niall said, rolling his eyes halfheartedly. “Stop whining and I’ll help untangle you, wimp.”

Harry pouted at that, but allowed his blond friend to unravel the decorations that were trapping him. He shimmied out of the confining decorations, before stepping out of them and brushing himself off.

“Thanks,” he said, before gathering the decorations back into his arms. “Now, who wants to help me decorate!”

“There’s more?” Asked Zayn with wide eyes in surprise, glancing into the closet. “How many decorations do you guys have?”

“Don’t look at me,” Niall said, putting his hands up in the air innocently. “These are all his. He always goes all out on decorations every year, for both Halloween and Christmas. It’s ridiculous, but sometimes you just gotta let him do his thing.”

“It’s not ridiculous, it’s festive,” Harry protested with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest. “Niall’s just a party pooper who doesn’t appreciate it . So, do you wanna help me?”

He looked at Zayn and Louis with wide, pleading eyes. Louis, who was a sucker for those eyes, instantly gave in. 

“Sure,” he said almost instantly. He bent down and grabbed a big fake spider into his arms. 

Zayn just shrugged nonchalantly. “Might as well,” he answered, reaching down as he also grabbed a few decorations into his arms. 

Harry beamed brightly at them, his face breaking into a huge smile. “Great!” He exclaimed, already jumping up and running around the dorm. “Come on then, there’s still so much to do! We only have tonight to get everything up!”

Louis watched fondly as the curly haired boy started rambling about decorations or something, skipping around the room. 

“He’s so cute…” Louis whispered under his breath. He immediately snapped his mouth shut, realizing that he had accidentally said that out loud. 

Zayn’s had heard him. His head snapped over to his friend, his eyes wide with shock. “Louis, did you just say…” he asked in shock. He trailed off, knowing that they both knew exactly what he had said. 

Louis seemed equally as surprised by his own words. His eyes were wide, almost as if he had caught himself off guard. 

“Uh…” he stammered dumbly. 

But before he got a chance to say anything else, Harry popped out of nowhere. His curls were bouncing everywhere as his green eyes were dancing merrily.

“Come on, guys!” He said happily, grabbing their hands and pulling them. “We have to hang that big spider in the doorway, and I can’t reach!”

“We’re coming, we’re coming,” Zayn said with a smile, allowing himself to be dragged by the smaller teen. But he shot Louis a glance, telling him that they weren’t finished talking.

***

For the rest of the afternoon, Louis and Zayn both hung around at Niall and Harry’s dorm. It was really fun being together. They finished decorating the dorm, which ended up looking like an entire Halloween store. 

They watched a few non-horror Halloween specials, including Garfield, Charlie Brown, Toy Story and even The Simpsons. 

Then they came to one of Harry’s favourite parts, Halloween baking. 

“Halloween baking?” Zayn asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow when the teen had mentioned it. “What is ‘Halloween baking?’”

Harry opened his mouth in shock, looking utterly offended. “What do you mean, ‘what is Halloween baking!?’” He sputtered. “How do you not know what Halloween baking is!?”

Zayn just furrowed his brow in confusion. “Uhh… should I know what it is?” He asked, looking at the other two boys questioningly. “Is it, like, an actual thing?”

“No, it’s not,” Niall answered, rolling his eyes. “It’s just a thing that Harry does every year. It’s just where he bakes a whole bunch of Halloween treats and makes Halloween inspired foods. Nothing special.” He explained. 

“Nothing special!?” Harry demanded, glaring at his blond friend. “It’s very special! And it’s not just a thing I do- it’s a sacred tradition that deserves respect!”

Niall just shrugged again. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard this lecture before. Let’s just skip to the part where I don’t help and you do all the work, then I eat all the food, yeah?”

The curly teen just huffed, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout. “Niall never helps me with any of this,” he complained, talking now to the other two boys. “He never helps with the baking but always eats all of the food at the end.”

“It’s not like you’re going to any of it,” Niall replied with a shrug. “Plus, you like baking and I like eating. I don’t see a problem.”

Harry huffed, frowning a little. “Yeah, but I don’t wanna do it all by myself this year. Liam did it with me last year, but he’s not here…” he trailed off, biting his lip. He then turned to look at Zayn and Louis with bug eyes. “Will you guys bake with me?”

Zayn hesitated. “Uh, sorry Harry. I’m more of the type of person who eats the food, not bakes it,” he said with a shake of his head. “So I’m gonna have to pass on Halloween baking this time.”

“Fine,” Harry said, before turning to Louis with a smile on his face. 

In two steps, he was standing in front of the teen, smiling pleadingly. “Will you bake with me, Lou?” 

Louis bit his lip. “I’m not really good at baking…” he said hesitantly. 

“That’s okay, I’ll help you!” Harry exclaimed, already looking excited. “So will you come bake with me? Please?”

Any hesitancy that Louis had had on his face instantly disappeared at that as he finally gave in. 

“Alright,” he sighed, smiling softly. “But I’m warning you, I can’t bake to save my life and there’s a good chance that I’ll screw it up.”

But Harry was already grabbing him by the hands and pulling him towards the kitchen. “You won’t screw it up,” he said cheerfully. “And I’m gonna be helping!”

Finally, Louis let up and let a smile creep onto his face. “Alright then,” he said, letting himself be led to the kitchen. Harry brightened up instantly. 

“Yay!” He cheered. “Come on then, let’s get started!”

The two boys went straight to the kitchen, both excited. It only took them a few minutes to find a recipe online for a treat called Witch Finger Cookies. It sounded gross, but in reality it was just sugar cookies that were rolled out to look like fingers. Then there was a little bit of cherries on it to be blood, topped with a single shaved almond to look like a nail. 

“Oh, this doesn’t look too hard!” Harry exclaimed happily. “All we need is a few things to make the sugar cookies, and then we can decorate them!”

“You really like decorating, don’t you?” Louis asked, bemused. 

Harry nodded, his curly head bobbing in agreement. “Yep, but especially when it’s Halloween and Christmas. That’s when my inner interior designer shines through.”  
“Yeah, yeah. We get it, you’re such a hipster. Now let’s just make these cookies already!” Louis said. 

Harry chose to ignore his comments, and pulled out an apron. He slipped it around the string around his neck, before typing it around his slim waist. 

Louis looked at the apron with a bemused smirk on his face. “Nice apron,” he commented, eyeing the purple fabric. On the front, it read in bold letters; ‘All You Knead Is Love.’

“Thanks, my sister gave it to me,” Harry said. “Wanna wear one?”

“An apron?” Louis asked, raising an eyebrow. “Umm, I think I’m good. We’re just making cookies. I don’t need an apron for cookies. How messy can they get?”

“Oh Lou, never underestimate cookies,” Harry warned pointedly, but closed the apron drawer nonetheless. “But whatever you say, don’t blame me when you mess up your clothes.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Hazza,” Louis said, rolling his eyes. “Now, let’s make these cookies. What’s the first step?”

Harry glanced at the recipe, squinting down at the screen on his tablet to see it. “Hmm, looks like the first step is to preheat the oven…”

Louis snorted. “I coulda told you that, Curly,” he said. “What comes after that?”  
“Uhh, making the sugar cookie dough,” Harry answered. “It looks pretty simple enough.”

Louis smiled. “Great, let’s get started.”

***

Baking with Louis turned out to be much more fun than Harry ever could have imagined. He was painfully bad at it, confusing sugar and salt constantly, setting the oven too high, winging the recipe and making a big mess. 

He once forgot all about the cookies while they were in the oven, and had also accidentally turned the timer off. It had only been Harry’s quick baker’s instinct that saved the cookies from turning to crisp, and even then they were still sort of crunchy. 

Making a mess, though, actually seemed to be his speciality. At first it started off with the little things. For instance, he would accidentally pour some of the flour out of the bowl, or he would spill a little water over the edge. 

But as they continued, Harry would continuously have to clean up the messes because he couldn’t stand a messy kitchen. 

And of course, that only encouraged Louis to cause more of a mess. He dropped an egg, he spilt the milk, he poured the salt over the edge of the counter, etc. 

And every time, he would always forge an innocent expression and say, ‘Opps!’ And when he did that, Harry could never be angry at him. 

That was, until, Louis became a little more risky. 

“LOUIS!” Harry screamed as an entire cup of flour was dumped over his head. Harry yelped, before coughing as he inhaled a giant breath of the powder. He closed his eyes and coughed as the white flour coated his entire body. 

When he finally opened his eyes, he turned up to see Louis smirking at him. 

“Opps!” He exclaimed playfully, smiling. “Did I do that? Whoopsies, how clumsy of me!”

Harry blinked in surprise for a few more seconds, before he turned and smirked at the other teen. “Oh, it is on, Tomlinson!” He exclaimed. 

Before Louis could react or say anything else, Harry was grabbing a giant fistful of flour and chucking it right into the boy’s face. 

He cackled evilly as Louis sputtered, coughing at the powder. 

When he finally opened his eyes, he looked at Harry in shock. “HAROLD!” He exclaimed, narrowing his eyes teasingly. His face was coated white by the flour, and Harry found it hilarious as he just laughed harder. “You’re gonna pay for that one!”

Louis grabbed the entire small bag of flour in one hand. Harry gasped in shock, before looking up at Louis, gaping. “You wouldn’t dare!” He breathed, taking a small step away from the teen. 

“Oh, but I would, young Harold,” Louis answered, taking a few steps towards the boy. He had an evil glint in his eyes, causing Harry to swallow thickly. 

“Louis, think about what you’re doing,” he pleaded, watching him with wide eyes as Louis approached him with the bag. “Louis- Lou- you don’t wanna do this. Be rational.”

“Oh but Hazza, I do want to do this,” Louis answered. 

He then surged forward, causing Harry to slam his eyes closed and scream. He couldn’t do anything else as Louis emptied the entire bag of flour over his head, causing his entire body to become coated in the white flour. 

“LEWIS!” Harry screamed, the flour finally settling on his body. He gaped up in shock at the teen, hardly able to believe what just happened. “Lewis! How- what- LOUIS!”

Harry lunged forward playfully, fully planning on attacking the other boy. He surged towards him, covered in white powder with a determined smile on his face. 

Louis, who had been cackling to himself, smirked when he saw the curly boy coming for him. So, when Harry pounced, he just picked him up easily, throwing the boy over his shoulder. Harry grunted in surprise, landing heavily onto the other boy. 

“Not so fast there, curly!” Louis laughed tauntingly. “You forget who has the higher ground here!”

“Louis, let me go!” Harry squealed, still gasping for breath as he laughed loudly. “Louis, don’t you dare drop me! Put me down! LOU!”

The footie captain just laughed loudly, holding the other boy tight. Harry was gasping for breath and occasionally half heartedly smacking Louis on the back, all the while demanding to be put down. But, of course, Louis wasn’t listening to him. 

“This is what you get, Harry!” Louis laughed, jostling the other boy around playfully. “Maybe next time you’ll think again before trying to attack me!”

“Please Louis!” Harry gasped, still laughing loudly. “I c-can’t breathe! Louis, put me down!”

“You wanna go down?” Louis asked, raising an eyebrow. Harry nodded enthusiastically. “You gonna be a good boy now?” Again, Harry nodded. “Well, alright then…”

He finally heaved Harry back down to the ground, causing the boy to let out a soft ‘oof!’ Harry landed on the ground, before bringing a hand over to his stomach to massage where he had been thrown over the shoulder. 

“Ouch, that kinda hurt Lou,” he frowned, rubbing a few circles on his stomach. 

Louis pouted teasingly, poking him lightly in the stomach. “Awe, was I too hard on you, baby Hazzy?” He asked, cooing softly.

“Yeah,” Harry replied, pouting a little. 

“Well next time you’ll just have to be a little kinder and maybe I’ll be gentler with you.”

“If I recall correctly, you were the one who dumped it all on me at once.”

“Yeah, well you’re not innocent either, sweet cheeks. We’re both covered in white stuff.”

“You did it first. Of course I was going to have to get you back.”

“Well if you didn’t want to be thrown over me, then you shouldn’t have tried to jump on me.”

“What are you guys talking about!?” Niall’s voice broke through, sounding both amused and horrified at the same time. “I thought you were baking COOKIES! What the hell are you doing in my kitchen!?”

Harry frowned, his brows drawing to the middle of his forehead in confusion. “We ARE baking cookies,” he said slowly. “And what are you talking about? What did you think we were doing?”

“You’re just baking cookies?” Zayn asked from the other room, and they could practically hear the smirk on his face. “Are you sure you aren’t doing anything else…”

“What else would we be doing?” Harry asked, still utterly confused. 

Louis was silent for a long moment, before he suddenly burst out laughing. Loud rolls of laughter escaped his mouth, as he clutched his stomach and nearly doubled over. Harry just looked over at him, frowning even more. 

“What?” He asked. “What are you talking about? What’s so funny?”

Louis just continued cackling, unable to speak. 

“‘Covered in white stuff’, ‘dumped it all on me’, thrown over me’... doesn’t really sound like the kind of phrases you use during just baking cookies,” Zayn said pointedly. 

Harry made a face. “What else would we be talking about?” 

“Oh my god, Harry!” Louis laughed, clutching his stomach. “You’re too pure! You are too innocent for your own good!”

“What-” Harry started to ask, before the other boy cut him off. 

“They thought we were talking about SEX, Harry!” Louis cackled, gasping for breath.   
Harry’s eyes shot wide open for a minute and his jaw dropped open in shock. 

He sputtered weakly, but couldn’t really say anything. A deep, red blush was creeping onto his face, flushing him red with embarrassment. 

“W-what…” He stammered, still gaping like a fish. “W-we weren’t- we didn’t- that’s not- what- We were just BAKING!” He shouted, his face bright red. “I don’t- that wasn’t- that didn’t happen!”

Niall and Zayn then walked in, both of them wearing matching smirks on their faces. 

“We were just joking, Haz,” Niall stated, glint in his eyes. “No need to get all… flustered… over it.”

That just caused Harry’s face to burn even redder and for him to stutter even more, while Louis just laughed to himself next to him. “I-I-I’m not f-flustered!” Harry yelped. 

“Mhm,” Niall said, raising his eyebrow. “Sure…”

Harry just flushed even more, ducking his head downwards so no one could see it. ‘Get it together, Styles!’ His mind screamed at him. 

Thankfully, Zayn broke the silence. “So, do you guys have any plans for tonight, since it’s Halloween?”

Niall snorted. “Nope,” he answered. “We never have any plans. What do you expect we’re going to do? Trick or treat? Not that Haz would be against it.”

“We’re not going trick or treating,” Louis said, standing up when he had got control over himself. “Z and I were going to the Haunted Hollow tonight.”

Harry frowned. He didn’t exactly like the sound of that. “What’s that?” He asked. 

“It’s the Haunted House in town,” Zayn explained, smiling. “The Uni students run it every year, and it’s awesome. Lou and I go every year and it’s great. Bloody terrifying, but great. So we were going to see if you guys want to go with us this year.”

Harry bit his lip, frowning. He definitely wasn’t a fan of being scared. I mean, why would he be? Why would anyone want to purposefully scare themselves? It wasn’t fun to be scared, which was why he didn’t like anything horror related. 

But before he could voice his concerns, Niall was speaking. “Cool!” He exclaimed. “That sounds great!”

“Awesome!” Louis said, smiling widely. “Hazza, you wanna come?”

Harry bit his lip as all his friends turned to look at him. “I don’t know…” he said, unsurely. “I mean, it kinda sounds scary…”

“It is!” Zayn said. “It’s terrifying, but it’s all fake. You should come with us.”

Harry still looked nervous about it as he shuffled his feet a little. “I don’t know. It doesn’t really sound… I don’t really like those types of things. I’ll probably just stay here tonight…”

“Nonsense!” Niall said, grabbing his friend by the arm. “Come with us, H! It’ll be fun! Besides, you don’t really want to stay here by yourself, do you?”

“I don’t like haunted houses,” Harry mumbled, looking downwards. 

“Awe, Hazza, come with us,” Louis pleaded. “It won’t be as much fun without you. Plus, we can leave early if you find that you really don’t like it. Then we can come back here and bake some more or something.”

“Yeah,” Zayn added, quick to jump in. “Just try it, and if you really don’t like it, we won’t make you go through. Just give it a try with us? Please?”

Harry paused for a long moment, considering it. He really didn’t want to go, and he knew that he would be terrified if he did. But at the same time, how could he possibly say no to the three pleading faces that were looking at him. 

So, with a long sigh, he murmured. “Fine.”

“You’ll go?” Louis asked, brightening happily. 

Harry nodded. “Yes, but only if I can leave if I want to,” he added quickly. 

“Of course!” Niall chirped, wrapping an arm over his friend’s shoulders. “This will be so much fun!”


	24. Chapter 24

Harry knew it was a bad idea as soon as he stepped out of the dorm building. He could feel the dread already creeping onto him, and he knew that he was definitely going to regret what he was about to do. 

Already he was a little scared out by the dark night and the creepy noises, and they hadn’t gone anywhere yet. 

It was late, and the only people out were the people who thrived off of the scary side of Halloween. The kids who had been trick or treating had all finished nearly an hour ago, and now it was only the teenagers out and about. 

To make things worse, it was very cold outside. He was wearing a hoodie and a pair of dark jeans, but was still cold. The air was cool and crisp, even colder since it was now dark out. 

He huddled into himself to try and keep warm while they waited for Zayn.

“Cold?” Asked Louis in concern, seeing the boy’s discomfort .

Harry shrugged. “A little,” he admitted, breathing out a trail of white air. “But I’m fine. Let’s just get this done quickly so we can go home again.”

“It’s not far,” Louis said. “It only takes a couple minutes to walk there, and then it’s all inside some big barn, so it won’t be as cold. But if you’re cold, you can wear my vest?”

Harry looked at him for a moment in surprise, before shaking his head. “No thanks, Lou. I’m good,” he said, smiling a little at the other teen. “I’m not that cold. I’ll manage.”

“Alright then,” Louis said. “But I’m not cold right now, so just as for it if you want it. Honestly, I’m actually kind of regretting bringing it. Maybe I’ll just run inside and drop it back off in my dorm…”

“Hang on, hang on!” Harry interrupted, grabbing Louis before he could walk back into the building. “If you’re not going to wear it, I wanna.”

Louis raised an eyebrow at the boy, but handed him the vest nonetheless. “Oh really?” He asked, bemused. “I thought that you could handle it? I thought you weren’t that cold, hmm?”

“Shut up,” Harry mumbled, slipping the vest onto his body and zipping it up. Louis was bigger than him, but he was also very slim, so the vest fit him pretty well. It was a little big, but not too noticeable or anything. 

Plus, it was nice and warm to wear, so Harry wasn’t complaining. 

Zayn ran out of the building only a few seconds later, dressed and slightly out of breath. 

“Ok, I’m here!” He exclaimed, breathing heavily. “Sorry I’m late, the elevator seems to have broken down or something and I had to run all the way down the stairs. Ready to go?”

“Only if those two are done flirting,” Niall said, nodding towards the pair of them.

Louis just smirked in response, slinging an arm around Harry’s shoulders. “Jealous?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at the blond boy. 

Harry blushed, unconsciously leaning into the contact of the other boy’s arm around his shoulders. He had to bite his lip to keep from smiling, but failed as a smile creeped onto his face. He really liked the way he fit so perfectly into Louis’ side. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Niall said, but he was smiling fondly as well. “Let’s just get a move on before my ass freezes. I want to get cozy again.”

The four of them then headed towards the town together. It was very different from when Harry and Louis had gotten ice cream a few weeks ago. 

During the day it was bright and full of life, with the lovely little shops all packed with customers. 

People would be walking down the street, despite the weather, and would be smiling happily. The doors would be open in the shops and there would be cars driving down the road. It would all be so lively. 

But now that it was darker, there was hardly anyone around. The shops were all closed and there weren’t any people walking around. There weren’t any cars either, and even if there were, they only added to the dark feel of the town. 

Everything was silent, since there wasn’t anyone else around, and everything was isolating. 

Harry shivered, stepping closer to the boys as they continued walking towards the haunted house. 

When they finally got there, Harry was convinced that he had made a terrible mistake. He had had a bad feeling when they had been at the dorms, but now he had a terrible feeling about it. 

As soon as he had seen the haunted house, a dagger of dread twisted in his stomach. As the boys had said, it was located inside of a big barn. 

But what they failed to have mentioned was that the barn was practically falling apart, with chunks of wood missing from the siding. 

They also didn’t mention the fact that there were literally screams coming from the inside. 

The barn was painted a grey-ish colour that was made to make it seem all the more creepy. There were also trails of red blood that was stained to the side, along with bloody handprints and the word ‘Help!’ scrawled messily across it. 

Harry shrank back when they got to the house, his eyes widening. “This was a bad idea…” he murmured. “I’m just- I’m gonna go home. This was a bad idea.”

“Come on, Harry. We haven’t even gone inside yet,” Zayn said with a small frown. “Just give it a try, it’s probably not even as bad as you think it’s going to be.”

Harry just shook his head. “That’s creepy,” he stated, taking a small step back. “I don’t like it. I don’t want to go inside. I want to go home. It’s too scary.”

“Please, Harry,” Niall coaxed. “It won’t be as bad as you think it will be. Besides, we’ll all be there the entire time, so you don’t have to worry about it. Come on, let’s just go try it out inside…”

“No, I don’t want to,” Harry said again, still looking at the barn with wide eyes. He flinched when someone inside of it screamed, followed by a few more screams. “I don’t want to. I’m just going to go back to the dorm. You can all go inside.”

“You can’t walk back to the dorm by yourself. Not this late, it’s not safe, ” Louis said with a hesitant frown on his face. 

“Just come with us, Harry,” Zayn urged. “We’ll go through it quickly and you can’t leave yet anyways.”

Niall nodded. “You can either wait out here for us while we go inside or you come inside with us,” he said. “We’ll go fast, and it won’t be that bad.”

Harry didn’t like either of those choices, and he bit his lip nervously. As much as he didn’t want to go inside the haunted house, standing outside seemed just as bad. And if he stayed outside, then he would be all by himself. 

So his choice wasn’t too hard. “Fine, fine,” he said with a small shudder when there was another set of screams. “Let’s just go- and quickly.”

Louis gave him a sympathetic smile as he patted the boy on the back. “It won’t be that bad, Hazza,” he said soothingly. “And I’ll be there the whole time. And if you get too scared, we’ll just skip it and go back home, yeah?”

Harry swallowed thickly. “Ok,” he murmured. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The four boys all headed towards the front of the house. Thankfully for Harry, you only went in one at a time, so they had to wait in a line before they could take their turn. 

But the line was pretty short, and soon it was the boys’ turn to go inside. 

They walked in the front door that led into the haunted house. Harry swallowed thickly as he and the boys stepped inside. At first, it was only an empty hallway with hardly anything out of the ordinary. Sure, it was creepy and there were fake blood spurts on the walls, but other than that, there wasn’t much that was scary. 

‘This isn’t so bad,’ Harry thought to himself. 

The door slammed shut behind them, causing Harry to jump at the noise. As soon as it closed, the lights went off and they were plunged into darkness. But not just darkness. It was pure blackness so that Harry couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face. 

The dread feeling started coming back, and he gasped. “Lou?” He whispered, terrified into the darkness. 

A hand wrapped itself around Harry’s wrist and he nearly screamed. He would have screamed, if it weren’t for the soft voice that followed. “I’m here, Haz,” Louis murmured, pulling Harry a few inches closer to him until the boy was pressed against his body. 

Harry instantly felt better knowing that he was no longer alone in the darkness, and he curled into Louis’ side as he tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness. It was futile, as he still couldn’t see anything, but he still felt more relieved that he was closer to Louis. 

The relief lasted about three more seconds, until there was a loud bang. Harry squeaked in fear as a man stepped out of seemingly nowhere and a dim light flickered on. 

The man was dressed in an all black tux and top hat. He had face makeup on that made his face sheet white, with black shadows contrasting under his eyes. He was creepy. 

“Good evening,” he said, his voice low and smooth as silk. He was talking slowly, each word being drawled in a way that sent shivers down Harry’s spine. “And welcome to the Haunted Hollow. Before we go inside, I have to warn you that there are some… strange things that have been going on here. Hmm… strange…”

He trailed off for a minute, getting a strange, faraway look in his eyes. Harry felt panic well up inside him, and he looked around the room quickly to see what he was looking at, but he couldn’t find anything. 

But before he could question it, the man snapped out of his trance. 

“Oh, my apologies,” he said, shaking it off. “Well, yes, then follow me… if you dare…”

The man stepped to the side of the room, showing a wooden door that seemed to appear out of nowhere. 

It swung open by itself, revealing another dark hallway. The man then motioned for them to step inside, which they did, albeit hesitantly. 

The door slammed shut behind them again, but this time Harry was ready for it. He jumped in his skin as his eyes darted around the room nervously. It was dead silent, other than the boys’ labored breathing. Harry apparently wasn’t the only one who was scared. 

The sound of a chainsaw was the first thing he heard. It was then followed by a man in a mask sprinting across the room, right towards them. Harry screamed loudly, jumping into Louis in fear. The masked man ran past them, cackling. 

“We have to keep moving,” Zayn said, his voice strained in fear. “Come on guys, let’s go quickly. I wanna get out of here.”

The four of them practically ran down the hall, several different things jumping out at them as they ran along. There were quite a few masked monsters, including ghosts, werewolves and creepy dolls.  
There were also the people in makeup, who had terrifying facial features etched onto them. 

Harry screamed particularly loudly when a man in a ripped teddy bear costume jumped out. He then threw himself into Louis’ arms, while Louis nearly punched the guy in surprise. 

At that point, the guys decided that they were done with the haunted house and quickly ran out of it, hardly giving the people a chance to scare them. 

The four of them sprinted through the entire house, before throwing open the large barn door on the other end, all of them shaking and panting. 

Harry was shaking a lot, still gripping onto Louis’ arm painfully tight. His fingernails were practically breaking into the skin, leaving bright red marks on the boy’s arm. But Louis barely noticed, as he was shaking as well. 

“That was…” Niall said, running a shaky hand through his hair. He took a deep breath. “You really weren’t kidding when you said that it was terrifying. Hell…”

Zayn nodded, biting his lip. “That was a lot more intense than it was last year,” he said, his voice sounding strained and tight. He looked like he was trying to play off how scared he had been, but it wasn’t exactly working, and the boys could tell that he had been shaken. 

“Ouch, Haz,” hissed Louis when Harry squeezed particularly tightly. “Your fingers are starting to hurt me.”

At that, Harry looked down at the boy’s arm, seeing the angry, crescent marks standing out on the other boy’s skin. He immediately loosened his grip, but didn’t quite let go. 

“Sorry, Lou, sorry,” he stammered, his voice shaking in fear.

“S’alright, Harry,” Louis said, wrapping an arm around the boy. “Sorry about making you go in there. I didn’t think it would be that bad this year. I wouldn’t have made you go in if I had known that that was going to happen.”

Harry was still very shaken by the whole thing, and was still quite jumpy. But he could tell how guilty and earnest Louis was being by the tone of his voice, and he just wanted to make him feel better. 

So instead, he just shot Louis a reassuring, tight smile. 

“I’m fine, Lou,” he said. “I just wanna go home.”

“Me too,” Niall agreed. “I’m done with Halloween. Let’s just go home and watch a movie or something.”

Zayn nodded in agreement. “That sounds great.”

But before they had a chance to leave, someone stepped out of the haunted house. Bebe was picking at her nails, looking bored and tired. She looked up just as they were about to leave, and spotted them. 

“Oh,” she said. “Hi Harry.”

Harry, despite still feeling jumpy, smiled at the girl. “Hey Bebe,” he said with a smile. “How’re you?”

“I’m good,” she replied easily. “Kinda bored, but good. How about you?”  
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but Louis beat him to it. 

“Hi, Bebe,” he said sarcastically. “So good to see you again. I’ve been missing that lovely scowl of yours, it’s been so long since we’ve hung out!”

“Hung out?” Bebe repeated, raising an eyebrow before scoffing. “Please, never in a million years would I even consider hanging out with you.”

Louis glowered. “The feeling is mutual,” he said. 

Harry nudged the boy in the side, which was easy since he was still tucked in closely to the teen. “Lou, be nice,” he pleaded. He then turned his attention back to Bebe and smiled. “So, what have you been up to?”

She shrugged, easily changing the subject. “You know, just going through again,” she answered. “My brother is on the team that runs it, so I get to go through for free. I’ve already gone through five times. Can’t say that it’s very scary, though.”

“Not very scary!?” Niall exclaimed suddenly, looking at her with wide eyes. “That place is bloody terrifying! How can you say it’s not very scary!?”

Bebe didn’t answer him, just raised an eyebrow. “Uh, can I ask who you are?” She asked, eyeing him up and down. 

Niall stood up straighter. “I’m Niall,” he said. “Now, who are you and how do you know Harry and Louis?”

“We were in a group with her,” Harry answered, jumping in. “This is Bebe Roberts. Bebe, this is Niall Horan and Zayn Malik. They’re our friends.”

Zayn smiled politely. “Nice to meet you,” he said.

Bebe just smiled tightly, giving them a small nod. “Nice to meet you too,” she answered quickly. “Anyway, this has been fun but I’m going to go now. Nice seeing you Harry, nice meeting you Niall and Zayn.”

“What about me!?” Louis frowned, scowling. 

Bebe just looked up at him with disgust, turning his nose up. “Yeah, whatever,” she muttered, before turning around and walking the other way. 

The four boys watched as she walked straight over to the haunted house again, getting in the line as if it was second nature. They all had mixed expressions on their faces. 

“Well…” Niall said, clearing his throat. “She’s… odd…”

Harry just shrugged. “Yeah, I like her.”

“I don’t,” Louis muttered, still frowning as he glared at her form. 

Harry rolled his eyes half heartedly. “I know you don’t,” he replied. “But she’s not that bad once you get to know her, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say,” Louis huffed. “Can we just go home? I’m cold and tired and I don’t really wanna hang around here any longer.”

“Hmm, you’re scared?” Zayn clarified cheekily, smirking to himself.

Louis’ face turned a little pink and he glared at the raven haired boy. But he didn’t deny it, instead opting to mutter under his breath, “shut up.”

***

All the boys opted to head straight to Niall and Harry’s dorm. It was kinda their hang out spot now, since it was easiest. It was on the same floor as Louis, so that helped. Plus, they weren’t going to go to Zayn’s dorm, because Liam would have been there. 

So it had become their unofficial spot to chill whenever they were staying in. 

They all rushed home, since it was cold outside and they didn’t really want to walk around in the dark all night. So they all hugged their hoodies close to their bodies and made a run through town to get to Princess Park again. 

Zayn was the last one inside, and he closed the door behind him. “Hmm, it’s nice and warm in here,” he commented happily once he stepped into the warmth of the dorm. 

“Mhm,” Harry agreed, rubbing his eyes with his hand. “Cozy and warm.”

Louis walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie that he and Harry had made, before taking a big bite out of it. He and Zayn had really made themselves at home in the dorm, coming and going as they pleased and eating whatever they could find. 

Harry didn’t mind it- he actually enjoyed it. He liked how the two boys practically lived there half the time. It was nice. 

“So, what do we want to do now?” Louis asked, walking back towards the group with his cookie in his hand. “It’s only twelve and we don’t have class tomorrow.”

Harry frowned at that, feeling worn out and tired. He was not a night animal, far from it actually. And it was late for him- later than he usually stayed up- and he was tired out. All he really wanted to do was lay down and go to sleep. 

Niall shrugged, heading over to the couch. “We can do whatever, I don’t care,” he replied. “What if we just watched something or did something else like that. Something chill. I don’t really feel like doing anything else.”

Zayn nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed. “What do you want to do, Harry?”

Harry didn’t really want to do anything, but watching something didn’t sound too bad, so he decided that if he had to do something, that was what he wanted to do. He opened his mouth to tell them that, but a giant yawn ripped through his mouth before he could stop it. 

Niall noticed. “Awe, is lil Harry tired?” He asked, poking the boy in the cheek. “Does he need to go to sleep?”

Harry moved his face away, pouting. “Stop, Niall,” he whined. “And I’m only a little bit tired. We can still do whatever or watch something.”

Zayn just bit his lip. “Actually, I’m kinda worn out too,” he said. “Maybe we should go to bed now and hang out more tomorrow.”

“No no, I’m fine,” Harry said, shaking his head a little to shake off the tiredness. 

“It’s fine, Haz,” Louis said with a small smile. “I think I’m going to go to bed. I guess it is pretty late anyway.”

Harry shook his head. “No, I don’t want you guys to go yet,” he said, biting his lip. 

Louis shared a quick look with Zayn and Niall, before smiling. “You’re too cute,” he cooed. “Who said anything about us leaving anytime soon?”

Harry frowned in confusion. “B-but,” he stammered, furrowing his brow in confusion. “But I thought that you said that you were going to bed? Both of you said that you were tired and that you were going to go to sleep. How-?”

Before he could say anything else, Niall was interrupting him. “SLEEPOVER!” He shouted, jumping up and down excitedly. He practically tackled Harry onto the couch in his excitement, the two of them rolling onto the cushions. 

“Not a sleepover, Niall,” Zayn said with a half hearted huff. “We’re sixteen. We don’t have sleepovers. This is just a… manly cuddle session.”

“A manly cuddle session?” Louis laughed, smiling brightly. “I’m in!”

It took the boys about five minutes to get the living room set up. Louis and Zayn both pulled the couches and coffee table into the kitchen, clearing a space in the middle. 

Meanwhile, Harry and Niall raided all the rooms, grabbing as many pillows and blankets that they could find. They then set them all up in the middle of the living room, creating a nice cozy place for them all to sleep.

Despite having talked about staying up later, the boys fell asleep pretty quickly.  
Niall was sleeping a minute after his head hit the pillow, snores coming from his parted mouth. Zayn was also drifting off to sleep, curled in on himself as he snuggled into a pillow. 

Harry could also feel the tiredness starting to take over. He shifted a little, trying to get comfortable, and ended up hitting something hard with his back. 

Before he could say anything, an arm reached over and draped itself around his waist, pulling him even closer. 

“Lou?” He barely whispered, his voice practically drowned out by Niall’s snores. Nobody replied, and he wasn’t even sure that Louis had heard him. “Louis? Are you awake?”

He didn’t get a reply, only hearing the sleep induced breathing coming from behind him. 

He could feel Louis’ hot breath against the back of his neck, even and slow. The arm was holding him securely, but not too tightly. Just enough to keep him comfortably in place. 

Harry paused, seeing if the boy would wake up. But Louis was already fast asleep. 

Harry could feel his own tiredness making a comeback, and this time he didn’t try to fight it. Instead, he snuggled into Louis’ chest, the soothing sound of his breathing lulling him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again...
> 
> Now, everyone brace yourselves for the next chapter, it’s the one you’ve all been waiting for ;)
> 
> As always, thank you so much for your support. Kudos and Comments always make me update faster!


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this actually isn’t the chapter you’ve all been waiting for... sorry. It just felt wrong to put that chapter in how, and I needed some sort of filler to bridge together the gap between the two chapters. So this is it! Hope you enjoy.

The next few weeks passed by fairly quickly and uneventfully. Everything seemed to be normal, and hardly anything had changed since Halloween. School was the same, normal routine. Alec and Nick were still jerks. Liam still wasn’t talking to them. 

But one thing that had changed was Louis. It was also a surprise when Harry finally realized that things between them were changing. It took him a little while to actually realize it, and he was shocked when he finally did. 

Louis wasn’t the stuck up footie player he was in September. He was far less cocky and overconfident, and had now shifted to being nice. 

And he wasn’t just nice to Harry, Niall and Zayn. He was becoming more and more nicer to people who weren’t necessarily his friends. 

Harry realized this when he was talking home from class one day. It had been an average day at school and there wasn’t much that had happened. Harry was just walking to his dorm when he saw it. 

It was a girl who was walking along by herself, several heavy books in her hands. She had brown hair that was tucked into a messy bun and she was wearing glasses. 

Harry didn’t exactly know her, but he was sure that he must have seen her around before, because she looked familiar. 

Harry didn’t pay too much attention to her, though, as he continued walking towards his dorm. It wasn’t until he heard a thud and a surprised yell that he turned around again. 

The girl was on the ground, her books scattered everywhere along the schoolyard and her glasses had fallen off of her face. 

She looked distressed, her eyes wide in shock and her mouth parted open slightly.   
Two guys and one girl were standing over her, looking down with distaste. One of the guys kicked one of the books over to the side while the other two cackled. 

“Oh, crap,” she gasped, startled. “I’m so sorry!”

One of the guys sneered down at her, narrowing his eyes. “Yeah, you should be,” he sneered. “Maybe next time you’ll watch where you’re going.”

“With all four of your eyes, you should be able to see three feet in front of you!” The other girl cackled meanly. “What was even so important that you couldn’t look away?”

The girl on the ground didn’t reply. “I’m sorry,” she said again, fumbling around desperately for her glasses and her books. It was hard, since she clearly couldn’t see properly, and the other three teens weren’t helping. 

“Looking for this?” One of the guys asked, picking up the book off of the ground. 

The girl looked up, her eyes widening as she nodded her head vigorously. “Yes please,” she stammered, reaching her hand out to take the book. 

But the guy was too quick. In one fluid motion, he had turned around and thrown the book into the school fountain. Instantly, he and the other two started cackling meanly. 

The girl’s eyes seemed to fill up with tears, and Harry felt himself boil with anger. He was just about to march over to the group of them, when he heard a loud voice. 

“HEY!” Louis shouted, storming over to the four teenagers, his face red with anger. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

The three of them exchanged glances, looking confused. “Uhh,” the girl said, stammering a little nervously. “Nothing. We were just having a bit of fun-”

“It’s fun to throw someone’s book into the fountain!?” He shouted, his face turning angrier. The three of them exchanged a quick glance, but didn’t say anything. “That’s the wrong answer, assholes!”

“Fine, we’re sorry. Whatever,” one of the guys said, rolling his eyes with a frown. “Come on guys, let’s get out of here.”

Harry watched as the three of them stalked off in the other direction, already gossiping together. Probably trashing Louis or something, which made Harry even angrier at them. 

He also saw the girl jump up and rush over to the fountain, chanting. “No, no, no, no, no!” She hurried over to the edge, probably looking at the heavy book that was most likely already at the bottom of the fountain. 

Louis winced, before quickly gathering the heavy books off of the ground. He then also picked up the glasses off of the ground, quickly cleaning them with his shirt. 

He silently handed them to the girl, who looked close to tears as her gaze remained trained on the book in the water. “Thanks,” she murmured when Louis handed her her things. 

“No problem,” Louis answered. “And I’m sorry about your book. They’re assholes.”

The girl just shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” she said. “But thank you for making them leave.”

“Again, it’s really no problem,” Louis said. “I’m just sorry that I couldn’t stop them from ruining your book.”

“It’s not mine. It’s a library book,” the girl answered. “But I’ll probably have to pay a fine for it or something, which sucks.”

Harry took that opportunity to walk over to them. They were both staring into the fountain, presumably at the book, so they didn’t notice him until he had gotten over to them. 

Louis looked up once he had gotten over to them. “Harry,” he said, smiling softly at the other teen. 

Harry flashed Louis a quick smile, before turning to look at the girl in concern. “I saw what happened,” he said with a frown. “Are you okay? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

The girl looked mildly surprised by the curly haired boy, but recovered quickly. “No, not really,” she said, shaking her head. “I just tripped, so I might have a scrap or a bruise. But I’m fine. Can’t say the same about the book, though.”

Harry grimaced. “Yeah, that sucks,” he said. “But I’m sure you can get those other people to pay the fine if you know who they are.”

The girl shrugged. “They’re in my biology class,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t know them very well.”

“Still,” Harry pressed. “You should tell the school and get them to pay the fine. Since it wasn’t you who actually damaged the book.”

She shrugged again. “Maybe,” she responded. “But it’s not that much of a big deal. Thank you though, both of you.”

“It’s not a big deal. They’re dicks,” Louis said again. “The school has one too many jerks at this school as it is. I’d be more than happy to teach one of them a lesson.”

The girl nodded shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. “I should be going,” she said, shuffling her feet. “But thanks again.”

Harry nodded, handing her the books. “It’s fine,” he answered. 

“Yeah, we really don't mind,” Louis added.   
She smiled at them. “Thanks,” she said. “And for what it’s worth, that kiss was really hot and I think that you two make a really cute couple.”

Harry instantly flushed red at that, ducking his head down in embarrassment. He had to bite down on his lip to keep from smiling at the comments. 

He heard Louis let out a soft laugh. “I like to think so,” he said. Harry couldn’t stop the smile this time, as he practically beamed. 

“Alright, I should go,” the girl said, completely oblivious to the two boys’ demeanor as she gathered her books. “Bye. Thanks again.”

The two of them waited until she had left. The girl (they never got her name) quickly gathered her things before walking away in the other direction. Leaving the two boys alone together. 

Louis leaned back against the fountain, relaxing. “So,” he said, clearing his throat. “Where are you going?”

Harry shrugged, willing his face to return to it’s normal colour. “I was just going to head back to my dorm,” he answered with a small shrug of his shoulders. “I have to study for my english test coming up, so I was probably going to do that.”

“Mmm, sounds boring,” Louis answered with a smirk. 

Harry rolled his eyes with a small huff. “Well, I have to study!” He defended. “I can’t just expect to pass without studying.”

“Still, it sounds pretty boring,” Louis commented. “What do you do? Sit in your room by yourself and reread the notes and stuff?”

“We… yeah,” Harry answered, making a face. “Are you telling me that you’ve never studied before!?” He exclaimed, his eyes going wide. 

Louis shrugged, a smirk playing at his lips. “Of course I’ve studied before. Just not recently,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It’s not like I have to or anything.”

“Lou!” Harry scolded, poking the teen in the chest. “You need to study or else you’re going to fail!”

“So?” Louis asked, coyly raising an eyebrow. 

Harry’s jaw dropped at his response. “So, it’s a big deal!” He exclaimed. “You can’t just skip studying because it’s boring. Here-” he reached out, grabbing Louis by the hand, “-we’re going to go study.”

“Together?” Louis asked hopefully, letting himself be led across the schoolyard by the smaller teen. “Are you sure this isn’t just some trick to get me alone, Styles?”

Harry instantly turned beet red, but continued pulling him along. “Whatever gets you to sleep at night, Tomlinson,” Harry answered. “But I’m going to make sure you study for this english class one way or another.”

“As you wish, Harold,” Louis said, letting himself be pulled across the schoolyard. 

Harry tried his best not to focus on the fact that he and Louis were holding hands as they walked across the school, where everyone could see them. 

He tried to ignore the fact that people kept casting glances their way, and just focused on walking to the dorm building. 

Harry had to admit, it felt great holding hands with Louis. Louis’ hand was rougher than Harry’s and it was big, so it encompassed his entire hand. But not only that, but Harry felt like he and Louis were… together. Like he belonged to Louis, and Louis belonged to him. Like they were meant to be. 

Plus, their hands fit together like they were meant to be.

The two of them walked up to Princess Park, before heading through the community entrance. Of course, that caused everyone there to look at them as they passed. 

A few guys even wolf whistled, which caused Harry to blush, but he continued moving towards the elevator. 

“Are we going to my dorm or your dorm?” Louis asked once they got to the elevator.

Harry paused, thinking. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I guess we could go to either. Niall might be at the dorm right now, or he might get there soon.”

“Niall might be there?” Louis repeated. “Then we’re going to my dorm. Besides, my dorm mate is never there, so he won’t be an issue.”

At that, Harry quirked an eyebrow up at him teasingly. “Oh, so having someone around would be a problem?” He asked teasingly, a coy smile playing at his lips. 

But Louis just shrugged. “I personally don’t really fancy an audience right now,” he answered honestly. 

“Yeah? Are you scared of ruining your ‘I’m-Louis-Tomlinson-and-I’m-too-cool-to-study-ever’ complex?” Harry asked, nudging him playfully. 

But again, Louis barely reacted. “Maybe,” he murmured, casting him a smirk from out of the corner of his eye. “Or maybe I just want you all to myself.”

At that, Harry froze. He somehow forgot to breathe momentarily. His heart was swooping uncomfortably, causing him to swallow thickly. 

‘It’s just studying, it’s just studying, it’s just studying,’ he chanted mentally, willing himself to calm down. 

When the doors opened, the two of them stepped out into the hallway. They were no longer holding hands, much to Harry’s disappointment, but they were still walking quite close together- closer than Harry would have walked with anyone else.

The pair of them passed by Harry’s dorm without a word and continued going down the hall. They turned the corner together, before heading over to Louis’ dorm. The teen unlocked it quickly, before opening the door and letting them inside. 

The dorm looked almost identical to Harry and Niall’s place. But that was because all the dorms were decorated the same, with the same layout and the same furniture. 

But the only difference in Louis’ dorm was that it was messier than Harry’s. 

“Nice place,” Harry said, looking around even though he had already been there before. 

Louis just shrugged, already moving towards the kitchen. “Yeah, it’s alright,” he responded. “My dorm mate, Stan, is a right slob and neither of us can clean very well. So this is probably the cleanest you’re gonna see it.”

“I could clean it,” Harry offered, already starting to pick up a half empty bag of chips off of the coffee table. 

Sure, there was a lot to clean, and he didn’t know where everything belonged, but he could probably make it look a lot better after a five minute power tidy. 

Louis turned around, looking at Harry with a soft expression. “You don’t have to do that, Hazza,” he said fondly. “I’ll get around to it. I didn’t bring you here so that you could clean my dorm.”

Harry shrugged. “It’ll only take five minutes. I bet I could get a lot done,” he said, still continuing to clear the coffee table. “Or at least enough to make it look a little cleaner.”

“I mean, you can if you want to,” Louis said. “But you don’t have to.”

“I do want to,” insisted Harry. 

Louis studied him for a long moment, a strange expression behind his eyes. 

“Alright then,” he said. “I’m not gonna stop you if you really want to clean my dorm. But do you want something to eat or to drink? I don’t really know what we have, but we must have something…”

“Umm, water please,” Harry said after a moment. 

“Water?” Louis repeated. “Well, I know that we have that somewhere around here…”

Louis went off to find some snacks and water, which left Harry alone in the living room. He bit his lip, trying to keep the smile off his face.

He had a feeling that he was going to like this study time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But wait! That chapter everyone’s been waiting for is coming up next!!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> without further ado... the chapter you’ve all been waiting for!!!!!
> 
> Hang onto your butts, because this is gonna be the craziest chapter yet...

Ten minutes later, Harry had cleaned up a good chunk of the dorm. It looked a lot better than it did before, and would probably only need a little more work to be done to it before it was restored to its former glory. 

Louis had helped, but he wasn’t lying when he said that he didn’t really know how to clean. 

So he mostly just helped Harry put things away and would offer his opinion every once in a while while he finished eating a snack. 

By the time 3:30 rolled around, the two of them were finished cleaning and were just lounging on the couch. Harry was on one end, with Louis’ feet in his lap, while the other teen was occupying the other end. 

“So,” the curly haired teen said, clearing his throat. “Studying.”

Louis groaned, throwing his head back. “Harry,” he whined. “Why’d you have to ruin the moment by talking about school? Can’t we just hang out?”

“We always hang out,” Harry pointed out. “But this time, we’re here to study, remember? And I’ve already been here for ten minutes and you haven’t even looked at the books.”

“That’s because they’re boring,” Louis complained. “I don’t understand why people study after school. It’s just a waste of time.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Not all of us are getting football scholarships for Uni, Lou,” he said. “Some of us actually have to study and get good marks if we even want to graduate. And if I have to study, you have to study.”

“Ugh. You’re no fun,” Louis whined, frowning. 

Harry shot him a pout. “Hey! I’m loads of fun.”

“You brought me to my dorm to study,” Louis pointed out. “Studying, Harold. How is that supposed to be fun?”

“It’s not meant to be fun, Lewis,” Harry answered. “It’s meant to be useful. And necessary if you want to pass your exams this year.”

“It’s November!” Louis exclaimed. “Exams aren’t for seven more months! We have plenty of time to study later on. Why do we have to do it now?”

“But we’re going to have this stuff on the exams, and I don’t want to forget it. Do you even know what we’re studying right now in science?” He asked, looking at the other boy pointedly. 

“Are you in my science class?”

“Umm, no.”

“Then I have absolutely no idea,” Louis said, leaning back on the couch lazily. 

“Louis!” Harry scolded, frowning. “You have to know what you’re learning! What if you fail science this year?”

But Louis just shrugged again, seeming unbothered. “Then I fail, who cares?” he said. “I still have footie, so it doesn’t matter if I technically pass or not. I’ll still end up going to Uni.”

“What if you break your leg and you can’t play footie?” Harry challenged. 

Louis fixed him with a hard look. “Hey, don’t talk like that. You’ll jinx it,” he said. 

“Fine,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “I won’t. But school is still important. You need to actually learn stuff and pass this year. Which means that you need to study, even if it isn’t fun.”

Louis let his head fall back against the cushions. “Ugh, fine,” he said with a groan. “We can study and I’ll try and learn stuff. But that’s all the promises I’m making.”

Harry just smiled brightly at him. “That’s all I’m asking for, Lou,” he said. 

Louis looked at him for a few seconds, before he couldn’t stop the small tug upwards of his lips. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Louis said with a halfhearted huff. “Let’s just get this over with already. I’m already bored.”

“Yeah, we can get started now,” Harry said, glancing around the room. “Let’s start with science.”

***

“No more, Harry! I can’t take it anymore! You’re melting my brain out of my mind! I can feel it all turning to goo! I can’t do this anymore! It’s too much!” Louis cried, rubbing his head in pain. 

“Louis, we’ve only been doing this for fifteen minutes!” Harry exclaimed, looking at the time. 

Louis nodded frantically. “Exactly! Twenty minutes is too long,” he whined. “I can’t take this pure boredom anymore! I just can’t!”

Harry huffed. “Fine,” he said, closing his textbook. “I guess we can stop now. But it’s not gonna be my fault if you don’t pass this year.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever curly,” Louis said, waving him off. “I’ll take as many empty threats as you want as long as it means that we can stop this.”

Harry rolled his eyes at the other teen’s antics, but closed up his textbook. “Ok then, I guess it’s time for me to go,” he said, slightly bitterly as he gathered up his things. 

And maybe he only wanted to study with Louis because that meant he could spend some time alone with him. Maybe that had been the only reason he had insisted on forcing him to study. 

And maybe Harry’s heart had been racing inside of his chest the moment he stepped foot into the dorm. 

But no one needed to know that. 

He stood up to leave, still frowning a little, when a hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist. 

“Hey, wait,” Louis said hastily. “What do you mean go?” 

Harry just looked at him in surprise, furrowing his brow. “Well, I kinda meant go home?” He said hesitantly. “Since we’re done studying. I just thought…”

“Well you thought wrong, curly,” Louis said. “You’re not leaving me that quickly.”

With that, he yanked the curly teen’s wrist backwards, pulling him back towards the couch. And Harry, clumsy as ever, couldn’t catch his footing or prepare himself in any way before he was sent sprawling into the cushions. 

“Oof!” he grunted, looking up in surprise and mirth at his friend. “Louis, what are you doing?”

But Louis just ignored his question. “Are you supposed to be doing something right now?” He asked instead. 

“Uh, no…” Harry said, confused. “I don’t have anything to do today…”

“Great,” Louis responded. “Then you’re staying here.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile wildly, trying to get himself from getting too excited. “Yeah?” he managed to ask, biting his lip. 

Louis nodded. “Yep,” he answered. “It’s not an option.”

“But if I’m here, what are we gonna do?” Harry prompted, his heart racing all over again. 

He couldn’t help himself. Louis was just so close to him and they were alone in his dorm. Harry couldn’t help but start to feel faint and alive both at the same time, his heart hammering with anticipation. 

Louis inhaled shakily. “I don’t know,” he dawled, his eyes flickering down to Harry’s lips. “D’you have any… suggestions?”

Harry couldn’t speak, he could barely breathe even. He was just looking up at Louis, his face already tinged pink as he stuttered breathlessly. 

“M-maybe a few,” he managed to breathe. 

Without a warning, Louis was grabbing him and pulling him over. Harry barely had time to register what was happening until he was seated on Louis’ lap, flushed against the other boy and straddling his hips between his legs. 

“Oops,” Harry squeaked when he realized where he was. He was completely flushed against Louis that he was certain the other boy could feel his heart pounding inside of his chest. 

Louis just smiled airly at him. “Hi,” he responded lightly, his gaze dipping down to Harry’s lips and lingering there shamelessly. “D’you- do you want to-”

“Yes,” Harry responded almost instantly, wrapping his arms around Louis’ neck and pressing them even closer together. He cupped the back of Louis’ neck in his hands, his fingers already threading themselves through his feathery hair. 

Louis’ arms snaked around him, before firmly grasping him by the butt. 

Harry gasped a little, but didn’t try to pull away. “Trying to cop a feel, Lou?” He gasped, trying his best to keep his tone light. 

“Something like that,” Louis murmured, tilting his head up. 

He didn’t move forward, leaving a small gap in between their lips. He was waiting for Harry to make the first move, something that made curly haired boy’s stomach erupt into butterflies. 

Harry started off by gently brushing their lips together, so that they barely grazed one another. It was light, almost nothing at all, but it caused both of them to feel all the more desperate. 

So Harry did it again, this time pressing their lips softly together. 

It was soft and gentle, not at all the desperate and fierce kiss they had shared on the football field and definitely not the horny drunk kiss they had at the party. This one was just as electrifying, but it was less frantic. 

Louis’ tongue grazed the surface of Harry’s bottom lip, asking for entrance. Harry was now completely pliant to Louis’ request, and opened his mouth right away to give him full access, revelling in the feeling of Louis’ mouth against his own. 

As Louis’ tongue explored his mouth, Harry tried to kiss back just as passionately. His mind was growing hazy as they kissed, like he was high on Louis. He couldn’t get enough and just wanted more and more.

One of his hands was still buried in Louis’ hair, giving it small tugs as they kissed. The other hand slowly raked down Louis’ body until he got to the hem of his shirt. 

Without giving himself time to consider it, Harry slipped his hand up the shirt, until his hand came to rest on his strong, bare abs. 

Louis sucked on his bottom lip, causing Harry to moan. He wasn’t in control anymore. He was just so lost in the heat of everything, giving himself up completely. 

He rolled his hips against Louis’, causing the other boy to moan as well into the kiss. Harry couldn’t help it. He wanted more of Louis- he wanted all of Louis. And Louis’ moan was only turning him on even more. 

“We should slow down,” Louis gasped, his lips never leaving Harry’s. 

But despite his words, neither of them stopped. Harry rolled their hips together as well, feeling their hard-ons rubbing against each other as they both moaned. 

“WHAT THE HELL!” Someone yelled from the doorway, causing the two of them to break apart suddenly. 

Harry’s head shot up in shock as he jolted apart from Louis, breaking their heated makeout session to look up at the doorway. 

His eyes were wide, completely shocked at the sudden interruption. He had been so caught up in Louis that neither of them had noticed someone walking in. 

A guy was standing in the doorway, a shocked expression on his face. He was short, probably the same height as Harry. He was burly and had a short brown bowl cut.

“Stan! What the hell!” Louis shouted angrily, turning around to glare at the teen in the doorway. “What are you doing?!”

“What am I doing?! What are you doing?!” Stan yelled back, slapping a hand over his eyes so that he couldn’t see them. “I can’t believe you’re doing there here! Louis!”

“What are you even doing here? You’re supposed to be out!” Louis exclaimed, while Harry ducked his head down, beet red. 

“I forgot my wallet!” Stan shouted back. “Oh my god, Louis! I will never be able to unsee that ever again! My poor, innocent eyes are forever scarred!”

“We were busy! Just get your wallet and get out,” snapped Louis, tightening his hold on Harry when the teen started to squirm a little, keeping him firmly in place. “Stan, I said ‘get out!’”

Stan flailed around for a little bit, keeping his hand covering his eyes as he fumbled around on the table blindly for his wallet. Thankfully, after Harry had cleaned it, he was able to find the wallet easily. He snatched it up, before opening the door again. 

He then turned around suddenly. “Oh, and you must be Harry. Excuse my interruption, but I’m not used to walking in on Louis making out on the couch. Carry on,” he said. 

Louis groaned loudly in annoyance. “Ugh! Stan, get out!”

“I’m going, I’m going!” Stan said, before stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind him again, leaving the two teens alone in the dorm together. 

Harry cleared his throat nervously. “Well, that was…” he said, swallowing. 

“Ugh, stupid Stan,” Louis grumbled. “He said he wouldn’t come back here for a while. We should have locked the door. What a mood killer. So sorry about that.”

“Umm, Lou?” Harry asked nervously, biting on his swollen bottom lip. 

“Yeah?” Louis asked, looking up at him. He seemed to take in Harry’s nervous, jittery demeanor and his eyes widened. “What’s wrong?” He asked immediately, his face becoming serious and concerned. 

Harry couldn’t help but smile at his concern. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just…”

“Did you not want to do that?” Louis asked, his concern growing. His eyes went impossible wide. “Shit Harry, you should have said something. We could have-”

“Louis, stop,” Harry interrupted, a soft smile pulling at his lips. “Just stop talking for a second, please. I said nothing is wrong. It was great, actually. That’s not what I was going to say.”

Louis just furrowed his brow. “Then what is it?” 

Harry swallowed, looking down to where he was wringing his hands nervously. “Uh, I kinda like you, Lou,” he said finally, his voice wavering nervously. 

“I like you too Harry,” Louis answered easily, without missing a beat. 

But Harry just shook his head. “No, you don’t understand,” he said, emphasizing. “I don’t just like you as a friend or anything, and I don’t just want to make out on the couch with you- even though that was great. What I’m saying is that I really like you, Louis.”

He stopped when he had finished, chewing anxiously on his bottom lip. Louis wasn’t saying anything, which was making him more and more nervous. His heart was hammering inside of his chest and he couldn’t bring himself to look up. 

“Harry…” Louis said softly, one of his hands coming up to cup Harry’s chin. He lifted it, forcing Harry to look him in the eyes. His blue eyes were soft, filled with adoration. “I like you too. I really like you too.”

Harry just blinked at him, shock evident on his face. “Wait- what?” he asked, blinking dumbly. “You- you like me?”

Louis just laughed lightly, wrapping his arms around Harry and pulling him into his chest. “Yes, you idiot,” he said lightly, his chest vibrating as he spoke. “I’ve liked you all year.”

“You have?” Harry asked, shocked as he nuzzled against Louis’ strong chest. 

“Of course I have,” Louis laughed. “I thought I was being obvious. You know, with walking you home, getting you coffee, kissing you on the field. Pretty much everyone already knows it. Well, everyone except you, I guess...”

“I didn’t know,” Harry pouted, feeling suddenly stupid. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“To be fair, love, you didn’t tell me either,” Louis pointed out, running his fingers through Harry’s curls. Harry nearly purred from the feeling. “But you have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to do that. You drive me crazy.”

“Hey Lou?” 

“Yeah, Haz?”

“Can you kiss me again?”

Louis didn’t respond. He grabbed Harry's face in his hands and pressed their lips together again. 

And it was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but oh so satisfying...
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments :)


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS JULY 23! ITS JULY 23! ITS JULY 23!
> 
> HAPPY TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVERYONE!!!!
> 
> I literally can’t put into words how proud I am of these five boys. I’ve been with them since the X factor days, and I love them all so much. They deserve everything in the world, and I can’t wait for everyone they have planned for their lives. Even if there isn’t a reunion announced today, these boys mean so much to me and I will always love them.

Harry was walking to school the next day, feeling like a million dollars. Yesterday he had kissed Louis on his couch. Then they professed their love to each other. Then there had been more kissing. And maybe some touching, but no one needed to know that. 

Anyway, he was on his way to school and he felt on top of the world. He didn’t know if it was possible for someone to glow, but if they could, he was certain that he’d be glowing so brightly that people would have to look away when he walked by. 

Even though it was Wednesday and nothing exciting usually happened on Wednesdays, he was still as happy as could be. He nearly skipped to school, he was so excited. 

Harry didn’t know what to call him and Louis. It was obvious that they weren’t just friends anymore- he didn’t know if they had ever been just friends. 

There had been far too much pinning and kissing for them to ever have been just friends. 

But they weren’t exactly dating yet. They hadn’t really talked about what they were, and Louis hadn’t asked to be his boyfriends yet either. 

They had spent the rest of the day yesterday kissing and staring into each other’s eyes. Not much talking.

But even though they weren’t technically dating, Harry still felt giddy with excitement. It was like he had a claim on the footie captain. Because Louis liked him. And that was enough for him for now.

Harry headed straight to his first class, which was art. He was literally vibrating with excitement as he went straight over there. Because art was his class with Perrie, and he was excited to tell her all about the events from yesterday. 

He hadn’t told anyone yet, only Stan knew what had happened. He suspected that Niall knew something, especially considering that Harry had walked into their dorm with swollen lips, a hickey and rumpled clothes. 

But he hadn’t said anything to anyone yet, and it was eating him up. He hadn’t even told Gemma yet, and he told Gemma everything. 

But she was just out of the hospital and he didn’t want to worry her or anything just yet. So he kept it to himself. 

But it was gnawing away at him. He never kept anything to himself that was that important. And Perrie was the person that he went to when it came to guys, as he was the person she went to. It was their friendship. 

So he was excited to tell her. 

Harry headed straight to Mrs McKelvie’s art class, which he was taking with Perrie. He walked in, only two minutes early which meant that he had a few seconds to get to his seat before class was starting. Then he’d be able to tell her all about it. 

The sixteen year old pushed open the door and headed inside, scanning the crowd for his friend. When he spotted her, already sitting in their usual spot at the back of the classroom, he started walking straight towards her. 

“Hey Per,” he greeted with a smile, walking over to the seat.

The girl looked up in surprise when she heard his voice, shooting him a somewhat forced smile. 

“Oh, hi Harry,” she said weakly. Her face looked nervous as her eyes darted around the class, but Harry didn’t notice. 

“You’ll never guess what happened, Per,” Harry said, the words just tumbling out of his mouth. “Louis and I decided to go study together, so he brought me up to his dorm. At first I was confused why we weren’t going to my dorm, but then he said it was because of Niall and he wanted us to be alone.”

Perrie forced a tight smile at him. “Uh, about that Harry-” she started. 

But Harry was rambling now. “So we went up to his dorm and studied for, like, ten minutes before we got too bored. I don’t remember what happened exactly, but out of nowhere I was on his lap and then we were kissing!”

Perrie for her part, looked shocked. “You were kissing?” She asked dumbly. 

Harry nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! And then he said that he liked me and I said that I like him and now we’re sorta dating but not-dating at the same time, and it’s really weird but it’s fine because he likes me and I like him and we were kissing!”

“Oh, well…” Perrie said after a moment, clearing her throat and shifting uncomfortably in her seat. 

She was acting very strangely. She didn’t even look excited about what Harry had to say, which made the boy’s heart sink a little. 

She didn’t really seem to care about it, even though it was probably the biggest news Harry had ever told her. 

“Per?” He asked, looking at her with worry. “Are you alright? What’s up with you?”

She didn’t answer, just swallowed. “You should go somewhere else, Harry,” she said stiffly. 

Harry just frowned even more, confused as ever. “What do you mean?” He asked. “Perrie, what are you talking about?”

“I’m saying that you should go sit somewhere else,” Perrie answered. 

“But we always sit together, Per. This is the one class we have together,” argued Harry, both hurt and confused. 

She didn’t answer him, just tightened her jaw. “Go somewhere else, Harry,” she said sharply. “You should just go somewhere else. I don’t want to sit with you today.”

“Perrie,” Harry tried to argue, pleading seeping into his tone. “Why are you saying this? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong,” a cool voice said from behind Perrie. “She just doesn’t want to sit by you anymore. I get it. I mean, who would want to?”

Eleanor Calder stepped out from behind him, a cruel smirk on her face. She had her arms crossed over her chest and she was leaning dauntingly against the table, her eyes narrowed. 

Harry looked at Eleanor in shock, before turning to look at Perrie. His friend had her eyes lowered and a guilty expression on her face. He just looked between them in confusion and surprise. 

“Eleanor?” He stammered, his eyes wide as tennis balls. “I, uh, I didn’t know you, um, I didn’t know you took this class.”

She just rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, no duh,” she mocked. “Of course you didn’t know I was taking this class. I just started taking it today. Honestly, you’re as stupid as you look.”

“Uhh,” Harry stuttered, swallowing. “I, uh, excuse me?”

“Do we have to spell it out for you?” The girl snapped, her patience growing thin. “We don’t want to sit with you. I don’t know how the hell Perrie put up with your pathetic ass for so long, but I sure won’t. So get lost.”

Harry felt his throat tightening a little, as he could feel the whole classroom’s eyes on him. He looked pleadingly at Perrie, almost asking her to do something, but she didn’t. “Perrie, what-”

“Go away, Harry,” she said quietly, her voice just above a mumble. 

A pained expression flashed over Harry’s face at her words. He could barely believe what was happening or what he was hearing, and it stung him. He looked up at Eleanor, seeing her looking at him with a mix of mirth and annoyance. 

“Well,” she snapped impatiently. “Get lost. Per doesn’t want you here, and neither do I.”

Harry took a stumbling step back, his mind blank with hurt as he swallowed thickly. He moved away shakily, fully aware that he had the entire class’s attention now. But all he could register was the hurt and betrayal he felt. 

That’s when he heard it. Eleanor whispering to someone. 

“Did you hear him? Talking about kissing Louis? As if! I bet he made it all up and was just telling everyone to get attention! What a slut. I bet Louis can’t even look at him, let alone kiss him.”

As if following her cue, half the class erupted into whispers themselves, and they were all no doubt gossiping about him. 

Harry felt tears prickle at his eyes as he stumbled along, not exactly knowing where he was going. He didn’t know where he was supposed to sit anymore now that he wasn’t sitting next to Perrie. But he also couldn’t bring himself to stand around them any longer. 

Harry was nearly at the classroom door when an arm wrapped itself around his shoulder. The person then steered him towards the back of the classroom, far away from everyone else. 

“C’mon, Harry,” the voice said softly. “Let’s go sit over here.”

The person led him to the back of the class, before sitting him down into a chair and sitting next to him. They were in the far back so that they couldn’t even see Eleanor anymore and they were furthest away from the most people. 

Harry looked up in confusion at Ed, furrowing his brow. “Ed?” He asked. 

Ed nodded. “Hey H,” he responded, forcing a tight smile onto his face. 

“But, what are you- why are you-” Harry stammered, bewildered. 

“I’m an ass, Harry,” Ed said, completely interrupting him. “I’m an ass because I was your friend and I didn’t act like it. I was a shitty friend and I wasn’t there for you. So I’m sorry.”

Harry just blinked at him a few times. “Ed, what are you talking about?” He asked incredulously. 

“I’m just saying that I’m sorry,” Ed said sheepishly. “I didn’t- I flipped out last time we saw each other. And I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to act like that. It was ridiculous. So, yeah. I just wanted to apologize for that.”

“You mean you're sorry for basically ruining our friendship?” Harry clarified.  
Ed paused, before nodding. “Yeah,” he said after a moment. “Yeah, that’s what I mean.”

Harry frowned again, swallowing. “‘S’alright, I guess,” he mumbled. “I guess we’re both sorta to blame for it, right?”

“No, it’s on me,” Ed insisted earnestly. “I don’t even know why I flipped out like that. I guess it’s just that after Liam- you know- I assumed that it would be me, you and Niall. It was always you, Niall and Liam, so I kinda thought it was my turn or something. But then you started hanging out with Zayn and Louis all the time, and I sorta thought that you didn’t really need me.”

Harry was stunned, to say the least. “What?” He asked dumbly, blinking a few times. “Ed, that’s-”

“It’s ridiculous, I know!” Ed interrupted, running a hand through his messy, red hair. “It’s insane, and I know that now! I was a complete idiot.”

“You should have talked to me,” Harry said after a long moment. “If you just talked to me, then this could have all been solved without so much fighting. Then we wouldn’t even be in this mess.”

“I know, I know,” Ed sighed roughly. “I was stupid. I just got jealous because I thought that you were replacing me with Tomlinson, so I flipped out…”

At those words, Harry couldn’t help himself. He snorted in laughter. Ed turned to look at him with a mix of surprise and hurt on his features, but that only caused Harry to laugh even harder. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He giggled. “But you thought I was replacing you with Louis!? Ed, that’s ridiculous!”

Ed looked affronted, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. “Well it’s not that unbelievable. You have been spending a lot of time with him…”

“Because I LIKE him!” Harry exclaimed, still laughing. “I like Louis, that’s why I’ve been spending so much time with him! We’ve snogged!”

At his words, Ed’s mouth formed an ‘O’ shape and he looked shocked. “W-what?” He stammered, blinking in surprise. “You and Louis… you what?”

But Harry couldn’t stop giggling. “You thought that I was replacing you as a friend?” He asked. “No, Ed! I would never!”

And the redhead had the decency to look sheepish. “I thought…” he muttered, smacking a hand to his forehead. “Ugh, I’m so stupid. This is embarrassing.”

“You seriously thought I was replacing you?” Harry asked, shaking his head. “Oh Ed…”

“I’m sorry,” Ed said. “Ugh, now I’m even more of an ass, aren’t I?”

Harry shrugged. “Maybe only a little bit,” he said. “But I understand, sort of. And like I already said, it’s alright.”

“Really?” Ed asked hopefully, looking up at him with wide eyes. “It’s alright? We’re good?”

Harry nodded, bobbing his curly head up and down. “Yep, we’re good.”

“So, we’re, uh, still friends and all?” Ed clarified. 

“Yes, Ed,” Harry said with a smile. “‘Course we’re still friends. Now c’mere and give me a hug, I’ve missed you.”

He opened his arms for a hug, which Ed immediately complied to. It was awkward, since they were still sitting in their chairs at the table, and it was uncomfortable to wrap their arms around each other like that, but they made it work. 

Ed cleared his throat while they hugged. “Um, Harry? This is nice and all, but this has lasted kinda long.”

“I’m not pulling away before you do,” Harry said, squeezing him stubbornly.  
Ed rolled his eyes, but pulled away from the hug, causing Harry to do the same. 

When they separated, Ed fixed Harry with a mischievous look. “So,” he said, his eyes glinting. “You and Louis, hmm?”

Harry blushed instantly, his cheeks turning bright red. He nodded, chewing on his lip as he ducked his head down. “Uh, yeah…”

“So what kind of thing are we talking about? Are you dating or what?” Ed pressed. “Come on, H. Gimme the juicy details.”

Harry smiled, feeling his heart start to pick up at the thought of Louis. “We’re not dating, not yet,” he said. “I mean, I don’t really know. We’re not official or anything. But we’ve kissed a couple of times, and then yesterday we kinda made out on his couch.”

“Yes Harry!” Cheered Ed, punching him lightly in the shoulder. “Finally getting some action!”

Harry blushed even more. “We haven’t done anything else, Ed,” he said to the boy, rolling his eyes. “We haven’t even gone on a date yet.”

But Ed just shrugged, hardly paying attention to that. “Whatever, Harry. You’re already on a pretty quickly moving track. It won’t be long before you’re literally the talk of the school. Especially now that Eleanor knows.”

“I don’t think that Eleanor is going to go around confirming Louis and I,” he said somewhat quietly. “We all know that she won’t be overly enthusiastic about us.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to worry about her. Louis would never fall for someone like her. Besides, he’s gay,” Ed assured him. 

Harry just sighed. “Yeah, right,” he murmured. “But even still, I don’t really want people knowing just yet. Since Lou hasn’t technically asked to be my boyfriend yet.”

Ed nodded. “I get that,” he said. “But you should prepare yourself. I’m pretty sure half the class heard and the other half is gonna hear by the end of this period. I bet the whole school will know by lunchtime today.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So thank you so so much to everyone who has been following this story. This story is definitely my favourite that I’m writing (even though the other one is more popular.) This story has just given me a sense of freedom to write and it feels great. I love that people actually enjoy reading it just as much as I love writing it. So thank you to every single one of you. It means a lot. All the love ❤️

By the time lunch rolled around, Harry was nearly vibrating with anxiety. He didn’t know how, but every class he went to, someone seemed to already know about him and Louis. 

He had tried his best to keep it under wraps and hadn’t mentioned it since telling Perrie and Ed. 

But even still, the news had spread like wildfire. Soon, it seemed as though everyone knew. And if they didn’t know yet, they were all bound to find out at lunch, which was when gossip travelled the fastest. 

Everyone would get together with their friends and gossip, it was what they did. 

So he was nervous about going to lunch, where everyone from the school would be there. The news would definitely (if it hadn’t already) reach every single student. 

And Harry wasn’t sure if he was ready for that. 

So when the bell rang for his final class of the morning to be over, Harry jumped up from his seat and rushed as quickly as he could towards his locker. 

If he could only get to the cafeteria before everyone else, he could save himself from having to pass by everyone in the school. 

He pushed past several students, practically running to his locker in an effort to get there as quickly as possible. A few people shot him dirty looks as he ran by, but he couldn’t care less. At the moment, getting to the cafeteria first was the only thing on his mind. 

And it’s not his fault. He just wanted to get to his locker before it got too busy and crowded. He knew that if he got stuck in a crowd, everyone would be looking at him and whispering about him. And he wanted to avoid that. 

He was never a big fan of crowds, and especially crowds that were all gathered, gossiping and judging him. Well, most people didn’t like that, so it wasn’t weird or anything. He just wanted to avoid it today. 

When he got to his locker, Harry was quick to shove all his things into it and then grab his bag and swing it over his shoulder. 

Usually he made a point of keeping his locker nice and organized, but today he just shoved it all in as quickly as possible, not caring where it ended up. 

Harry turned to run towards the cafeteria like he had done when he was going to his locker, but quickly found a flaw in that plan. 

You see, it had appeared as though everyone at St Lilian decided to take this one day as ‘move-as-quickly-as-possible’ day. It looked like everyone in the school had had the same idea as him. They were all also rushing through the halls.

Which, in turn, made it harder for Harry to rush down the halls. It was now too crowded for him to just run and hope for the best. Now it was a struggle to even walk down the hall. 

When he finally did make it to the cafeteria, any hope of being one of the first people there was immediately squashed. The room was packed, nearly everyone was already there, already at their tables and chatting loudly. 

Harry groaned to himself. Well, there was no way he was going to be able to avoid the attention now. As soon as he would walk in, he knew that people would stare. 

They would stare and then whisper to their friends as he walked by. 

Of course, he could always go have lunch somewhere else. He could eat outside, or sit in the library or something. 

But then he wouldn’t be able to eat lunch with his friends, and he wasn’t about to skip that just because of some stupid high school rumors. 

So, in an act of bravery, Harry took a deep breath and pushed open the cafeteria doors. 

At first, no one noticed him. They were probably all too caught up in talking with their friends and eating to even notice the door opening, much less him walking in. 

Which then gave Harry the confidence to walk across the room towards his lunch table. 

He knew that he made a mistake when the room went quiet. The conversation that had been happening went dead silent as he walked by. Harry’s hands that were clutching his bag were now shaking, but he managed to keep himself moving forward. 

He heard a few girls at a table start whispering as he passed them. He strained his ears to hear what they were saying. 

“... yeah, I heard he hooked up with Louis last week…”

“No, I’m pretty sure they just made out…”

“... I’d pay money to see that. They’re both hot as hell. I want a sex tape.”

“Ew, they’re gay.”

The comments went on and on, and Harry found himself getting more and more anxious. His table now seemed so much further away than it had before. It felt like he was miles away from actually getting there, so he started walking a little faster. 

“I didn’t know he was gay…”

“Harry’s kinda cute though…”

“... I’m so jealous. I wonder what Louis’ like in bed…”

“It’s horrible. Louis’ just using Harry. Poor boy.”

“This is all stupid.”

“What a slut. Louis could do so much better.”

“... I wonder if he knows that he’s just a boy toy until something better comes along.”

The room had been nearly silent just a moment before, but now it seemed to erupt into loud, hateful comments. 

Harry could feel his heartbeat picking up at each word that someone said, and he was having a hard time keeping it together. 

As if an angel from above was taking mercy on him, Louis looked up right at that moment. He had been sitting at the table with Niall, Zayn and Ed (surprisingly), and looked up. 

His eyes met Harry’s panicked ones, and a look of understanding passed over his face. 

His gaze flickered over to the tables of gossiping students, his face hardening. In an instant, he was standing up from the table and making his way across the cafeteria. 

He walked right up to Harry, wrapping his arms protectively around his shoulders, shielding him from their view. 

“They’re assholes,” he murmured softly to the boy. “Just ignore them and keep walking.”

Harry nodded, his feet falling in step with Louis’. He could hear them gossiping even louder now because of Louis. 

“It’s awful,” he mumbled, looking downwards at the ground as Louis led him back towards their table. 

“I know,” Louis answered back. “But they’re just rumors. Just ignore them and they’ll go away. Just hold onto me, we’re almost there.”

“They’re talking about you too,” Harry said, feeling the need to tell him. “They’re, like, saying that you’re using me and stuff. And that you’re an asshole and I’m a slut.”

Louis squeezed the arm tightly that was wrapped around the boy. “They’ll always talk. It’s what happens at this school,” he stated. “Try not to let it get to you. They’re just rumors, they don’t know what they’re talking about. And you’re not a slut, not even close.”

Harry just nodded again, and chose not to say anything else. He just let Louis lead him along and he tried to not listen to any of the things that they were saying. 

It was hard, but it was easier to ignore it when Louis was there with him, so he was thankful for that. 

The two of them walked through the cafeteria, practically glued to one another, until they got to their table. 

Only then did Louis let his arm fall from Harry’s shoulders in order for them to all sit down. 

Harry slipped down into the seat, slumping low so that he was hidden from the prying eyes of the cafeteria students. He shifted his bag so that it was covering his face. 

“Bloody vultures,” Louis grumbled as he sat down on the seat again beside Harry. “All they ever do is gossip. I mean, don’t they have anything better to talk about?”

Niall frowned. “What are you talking about?” He asked in confusion. Of course Niall was the last person to know about the news. He was always so oblivious to things like that. 

Thankfully, Zayn explained for them. “They’re just all gossiping,” he explained simply. 

“About what?” Niall asked, looking behind him and around at the other students in the room. They were all subtly casting glances over at the table, talking amongst themselves.”

“Me and Louis,” Harry mumbled, keeping his head down low. 

“Why are they talking about you guys? What are they saying?” Niall asked, his frown deepening by the second. “Is it bad? What are they saying about you, Haz?”

Harry just shook his head. Niall was always so protective of him, and he was ready to pounce on anyone who would hurt Harry in any way. That included whenever someone would say something about him.

“It’s fine, Ni,” he said. Zayn also looked just as confused as Niall. “But what are they talking about?” He asked curiously. “I mean, I’ve picked up on what they’re talking about, but what are they talking about? What happened?”

“Harry and I made out yesterday,” Louis stayed simply, slinging his arm loosely around Harry, but it was clearly a sign of protectiveness. 

Niall’s jaw fell open. “WHAT?!” He yelled, his eyes popping wide open in shock. “YOU DID WHAT?!”

Harry was quick to clap a hand over the blond boy's mouth, muffling his shouts. “Niall, shut up!” He hissed. “Everyone will hear you!”

But Niall just moved his face out of Harry’s reach. “You made out?!” He exclaimed, but it was quieter. “When did this happen?!”

“Yesterday, like I said,” Louis answered easily, like he was talking about something as simple as the weather. “In my dorm.”

“You didn’t tell me!” Zayn exclaimed, his voice a lot quieter than the blond boy’s, but it was just as shocked. His eyes were just as wide and his expression was shocked. 

Louis just shrugged. “It wasn’t really any of your guys business,” he answered easily. “Honestly, it’s no ones business. But yet everyone seems to know.”

He said it in a harsh-ish tone that had Harry cringing. Of course Louis would want to keep things quiet. He was the captain of the footie team and the last thing he needed was more rumours spread about him.

And now everyone knew because Harry had to open his big mouth and blab it to Eleanor, who apparently had told the entire school.

“It’s not your fault, Lou,” Harry mumbled quietly, keeping his gaze lowered in shame. “You didn’t tell everyone.”

“I don’t know how everyone knows, Harry,” Louis said hastily, his eyes wide and honest. “I didn’t say anything to anyone. I thought Stan was the only one who knew, but I didn’t think he would have told people. I don’t know how it got out.”

“I know how it got out,” Harry sighed heavily, already feeling worse about the whole thing. “I was going to tell Perrie, but… Eleanor was there. She overheard and then told everyone. I’m sorry.”

Louis’ eyes darkened. “Eleanor told everyone?” he asked lowly, a frown appearing on his face. “So that must be how everything got out. Shit.”

“I’m sorry,” Harry said quickly, chewing on his bottom lip. “I only meant to tell Perrie. I didn’t know that she was right there.”

Louis’ face softened again as he looked at the nervous boy. “I'm not mad at you , Harry,” he assured the teen. “They just always gossip about everything I do. I didn’t want you to get sucked into these rumours, they can be annoying and hurtful.”

“Perrie and Eleanor were together?” Asked Zayn, sounding both surprised and annoyed. “But I thought your only class with Per was art.”

The curly haired teen nodded glumly. “It is,” he mumbled, dejectedly. “Eleanor switched or something to be in the class with us.”

He watched as Zayn ran a hand through his hair. “Shit,” he muttered. “I thought she was trying to distance herself from Eleanor. Shit. I’m really sorry, H.”

“Me too,” Louis cut in, squeezing the smaller boy’s shoulders comfortingly. “These rumours are shit. I’m sorry that this had to happen this way, Hazza.”

“It’s fine,” Harry mumbled, unconsciously shifted closer into Louis’ hold. “Just… I don’t like them very much.”

Louis pressed a quick kiss to his hair. “I know,” he said soothingly. “Neither do I. But they’ll be finished soon.”

“Hold on,” Niall interrupted, a confused look still on his face. He was clearly having a hard time digesting all of this. “So the rumours are that you two out, and they’re true?”

Harry and Louis both nodded. Harry was blushing furiously while Louis just looked proud of himself. 

“Mhm, definitely true,” Louis answered. 

“So are you two together now?” Zayn asked, his eyebrows shooting to the top of his head. “Are you dating?”

Ah, the question that had been on Harry’s mind since kissing Louis for the first time. That was the very thought that had been plaguing his mind for a while. He looked up at Louis anxiously, waiting for his response.

Louis didn’t even hesitate. “Yup,” he said confidently. He then paused and looked sideways at Harry. “Well, s’ long as Hazza wants to. What do you say Harry, do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Harry’s heart literally swelled inside of his chest at those words. He nodded his head frantically. “Yes,” he answered quickly. “Yes, of course.”

Louis smiled so that his beautiful blue eyes crinkled in the corners. “Great,” he said merrily. 

“Finally!” Niall exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “We’ve been waiting for you two to get over your sexual tension and get together all year!”

Harry’s mouth fell open in surprise. “You have?” He asked, his eyes wide. “But… Hold on a second. I don’t understand. What do you mean you’ve been waiting?”

“Oh please, Harry!” Niall rolled his eyes. “Everyone has been waiting for you two to finally get together. It’s pretty obvious how bloody into each other you two are! Some people on the footie team literally had bets on how long it would take you two!”

Harry’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Bets?” He squeaked, his face flushing. “Who was betting on us? And how did everyone know before me!?”

Ed rolled his eyes half heartedly. “Oh Harry,” he said lightly. “It was obvious to, like, everyone. Even to people who didn’t even know you.”

“Nobody told me!” Harry whined, covering his face on his hands. “And everyone knew before me! This is so embarrassing!”

Louis just smiled widely, throwing his arm around Harry and pulling him into his side. “Oh baby,” he chuckled lightly. “It’s not our fault you’re so clueless.”

“Hey!” Harry yelped, lightly smacking him on the arm, but he was smiling widely at the same time. “I’m not clueless!” 

Louis just raised an eyebrow at him. “Mhm. sure, Hazza.”

Harry just pouted, but couldn’t help the goofy smile that kept tugging at his lips. Because Louis had called him ‘baby.’ And he was now Louis’ baby from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally sobbed. July 23 was not what I wanted. I’m still not okay from it, but I still have hope that more is coming!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies!!
> 
> So here’s another chapter for everyone! I’m so happy that people have been liking the story.
> 
> Remember, comments made me update faster :)

Harry was just sitting on his bed, messaging his sister. He was telling Gemma all about how he and Louis were finally officially dating. He had been nervous about telling her (and his whole family for that matter) but the nervousness quickly turned into excitement. 

Sure, his whole family knew he was gay. It wasn’t something he was ashamed or embarrassed of, and he was grateful to have such a supportive family. They had never judged him or anything, and instead seemed very happy for him.

He remembered when he first realized that he was gay. It had been when he was thirteen, in grade eight. He had always known that he hadn’t really liked girls in the same way that other boys in his class did. 

It was only when he turned thirteen that he had gotten his first real crush. It was a guy named Eric, and Harry remembered thinking he was the most amazing guy in the world. 

Of course, Eric had not been the most amazing guy in the world, as it turned out. He had found out that Harry had been gay and had bullied him constantly about it. He and his friends had all picked on him throughout junior high, mocking and picking on him. 

But, even though his experience with Eric had been terrible, Harry had been grateful for it. Because it was then that he had found out that he had been gay, which was something that he had been struggling with for a while. 

When he had first come out to his mum, he had been a nervous wreck. There had been tears in his eyes and he had been and he had stuttered throughout the entire thing. He had just been so terrified of his family judging or being disappointed in him. 

But, of course, Anne had been wonderful. As soon as Harry told her, she had gathered the shaking boy into her arms and held him close. She had said that she was proud of him and that she loved him, which had only made Harry cry harder. 

Gemma had been just as amazing. She and Harry told each other literally everything since the day they were born, so she had been the first one he told. Harry had gone to her room and immediately told her everything. She had just nodded along, before cracking a smile. 

“I knew it,” she had said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. 

Harry had then told Robin, his step dad. That had been a little more awkward, since he and Robin had just met at the time. But still, Robin had given him a small smile and a hug and said that he loved him as well. 

The only part that hadn’t gone well was with his father. Des Styles had never really been much of a father to him. He and Gemma only saw him two or three times a year, and it was never for long. They hadn’t really gotten close to him ever since he left Anne and them. 

So when Harry told Des, he hadn’t been expecting much. But what he hadn’t expected was for Des to start yelling at him. He had shouted some very rude things at the boy, before Gemma had wrenched the phone away and hung up.

All in all, Harry hadn’t been too heartbroken. He had felt ashamed and sad for a few days, but he soon realized that Des’ opinion of him didn’t matter anymore. His real family loved and appreciated him, and that was what mattered to him. And he was so, so grateful for that. 

When high school came, suddenly it was okay to be gay. So many people were now gay, pan, bi- you name it! So, unlike high school, it was completely normal to be attracted to the same gender, which was great. 

So Harry hadn’t exactly been scared to tell his family about Louis. He was just a little nervous since it was his first boyfriend. So he had decided to tell his sister first, since he was practically dying to tell her finally. 

It was Tuesday evening, which meant that Gemma was either partying with her college friends or staying in for the night. Harry was really hoping it was the latter, so that he could finally tell her. But Gemma was sometimes wild, and liked to live on the edge. 

The phone rang four times, before Gemma finally answered. 

“Hello? Who is this?” she asked, her voice sounding a little tired, but nowhere near drunk. Which was definitely a relief for Harry. 

Relief swelled in his body. “Hey, Gem,” he greeted happily. “It’s me.”

“Oh, hey Harry!” His sister answered, her voice suddenly becoming happier. “Sorry, all my contacts got wiped and I didn’t know who it was. Wouldn’t have answered if I had known it was you!”

Harry rolled his eyes lightly. “Ha ha,” he deadpanned half heartedly. “You’re so funny, Gemma. You should’ve gone to Uni to be a comedian, not an author.”

“You can’t go to uni to be a comedian,” Gemma scoffed teasingly through the phone speaker. “I’d have thought you would have known that already with that big brain of yours.”

“Whatever,” Harry pouted. “You wouldn’t be good enough to be a comedian anyways.”

Gemma pretended to be offended from the other end of the phone. “What?” she scoffed. “I’ll have you know that everyone finds me funny! Or at least, funnier than you and your lame ‘knock knock’ jokes, Harold!”

Harry pouted even more, even though he knew that no one could see him. “You’re so mean to me!” He exclaimed, feigning hurt. “Maybe I’ll just hang up and call someone else who’ll be nicer to me…”

“No!” Gemma exclaimed, laughing merrily. “Don’t hang up, Harry! I’ll be nicer. We haven’t talked together in ages!”

“Only because you’re always out partying,” Harry said pointedly. 

“Oh yeah?” his sister taunted. “Don’t you even pretend that you haven’t been living it up this year. I’ve heard all about your long partying night and escapades! Those innocent eyes can’t fool me!”

Harry decided not to question how she knew about his late nights at parties. She was his sister, she knew literally everything about him, even if he didn’t tell her. 

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t tell mum I’m drinking. Still have to be the innocent one for her.”

“Oh Harry, as if you could be anything but innocent,” Gemma answered, and Harry could hear her eye roll. “Anyway, what was it you were calling me about? I assume it’s not about parties…”

“Oh,” Harry said, suddenly remembering what the call was about. He had nearly forgotten what the whole point of the call after he had started talking. “Right. So, actually, I kinda have some news that I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“Oh my god, you’re pregnant!” Gemma yelled into the phone, her tone shocked.

“No, Gem, no! Of course not!” Harry laughed, cutting her off before she could worry too much. “No I’m not! Gemma, are you serious? Why would you assume I was pregnant?”

“Oh, thank god,” the twenty year old breathed, sounding relieved. “It’s not my fault for assuming, you started the conversation that way. But good thing you’re not. Just make sure you don’t have any mindless hookups- oh, and use protection!”

Harry groaned, hitting his palm against his forehead. “I do not need to be having this conversation with you now,” he muttered. 

“Safe sex is not a joke, Harry.”

“Gemma!” Harry exclaimed. “Are you serious? I’m trying to tell you something!”

“Oh, right. Carry on.”

“Thank you,” Harry huffed, leaning back onto his bed. “So, as I was saying, I have some news. You know the guy Louis I told you about?”

“The one you had an almost-kiss with?” Gemma asked, confused. “Yeah, of course I remember him. He’s all you ever talk about anymore.”

Harry blushed a little at that. He hadn’t realized that he talked so much about Louis to his sister. He had thought that he had been even a little bit discrete about the whole thing. He cleared his throat. 

“Right, so two days ago…” Harry said, before pausing and biting his lip in excitement. “We kissed! And then yesterday he asked me to be his boyfriend!”

Harry had barely even finished talking before he heard his sister shrieking in excitement. He winced a little at the sound, but a huge smile appeared on his face. 

“HARRY!” Gemma screamed, her voice shocked and excited. “You got your first boyfriend! YES! My baby brother is growing up! I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!”

A goofy grin was on Harry’s face. “Yeah, me too!” He nearly squealed, giddy with excitement. “He’s really great. Oh, and he’s a great kisser!”

“Yay!” Gemma exclaimed happily. “Oh, hang on. Chris is here! Chris! CHRIS! Come here! Harry got a boyfriend! And he’s kissing now!”

Harry nearly rolled his eyes. Chris was Gemma’s best friend since forever, and they were now dorm mates in uni. Nothing romantic had ever happened between them (though people always said they would be perfect together) but they were incredibly close. 

There was some shuffling at the other end of the phone, probably the sound of Chris rushing over. 

A second later, he heard another familiar voice. “Harry! Lil Harry has a boyfriend!? Who is he? Is he treating you good? Is he a good kisser? How many times have you kissed? Have you hooked up yet? What’s his name?”

Harry was bombarded with all the sudden questions and it made him kind of dizzy. Because, yeah, Chris was also extremely protective over him. Almost to the point where it rivaled Gemma’s protectiveness (almost.)

“Woah,” Harry said, interrupting the steady stream of questions. “Slow down, Chris. I can barely even hear you when you’re talking so fast.”

“Well, answer the questions!” Chris pressed, completely ignoring Harry. 

The sixteen year old rolled his eyes a little. “Ok, fine. His name is Louis and he’s a junior like me. He’s great, really. And we’ve only kissed, like, three times. And no, Chris, we haven’t hooked up. You’re such a pervert sometimes.”

“Hey!” Chris exclaimed indignantly. “I’m not a pervert! I’m just looking out for our little itty bitty baby Harold. So, is he a good kisser, yes or no?”

Harry hid his face in his hands. “Chris, stop!” He groaned. 

“I’m waiting for an answer here, Harry.”

“Fine, yes!” The teen said hastily, embarrassed. “He’s a good kisser! He’s a great kisser! Absolutely fanta-bulous! Is that what you wanted to hear!?”

Harry heard laughing on the other end of the phone, which only caused his face to burn even redder. 

He heard footsteps walking down the hall, but he just assumed that it was Niall. His eyes grew wide when he didn’t see the blond boy. 

“I hope you’re talking about me,” Louis said teasingly, a smirk on his face. Harry’s mouth fell open in shock, and he felt his face burn even harder. 

“Is that Louis?!” Gemma shouted from the other end,, clearing hearing the other boy’s voice. “It is! Harry, quick, we wanna talk to him! Put him on the phone!”

“It’s Niall,” Harry lied quickly, already moving the phone away from his ear. “I gotta go, Gem. Bye Chris. I’ll call you sometime later. Bye!”

“Harry Edward Styles, you little liar! That’s Louis, put him on!” His sister exclaimed. “Don’t you dare hang up on me!”

But it was too late. Harry hastily hung the phone up before either of the college students could get in another word. 

He then threw his phone across his bed, further away from where he was sitting. He then looked up at Louis sheepishly. 

“Sorry,” he winced. “That was my sister and her friend. They’re a little… they’re a lot sometimes.”

Louis just shrugged lightly, walking over. He flopped onto Harry’s bed unceremoniously. “It’s fine,” he said easily. “I have four sisters. I know what pushy is like.”

Harry smiled, shifting closer to the other boy so that he was sitting next to him. 

“Still, they’re a lot,” he said. “Gemma’s probably gonna call back sometime soon to talk to you. Well, not really talk. She’ll probably interrogate you, more like it.”

Louis hummed, propping himself up on his elbows. “So,” he said, a playful smirk creeping onto his face and a glint appearing in his eye. “I’m a fanta-bulous kisser, hmm?”

Harry blushed even harder, hitting him lightly on the arm. “Stop!” He giggled. “They wouldn’t stop asking me. You’re gonna tease me forever about that, won’t you?”

“Yeah, probably,” Louis responded easily, smiling widely up at Harry. “Though I do have to say, you’re a pretty great kisser yourself.”

Harry just nudged him again, rolling his eyes. “Yeah right,” he scoffed. “I’ve kissed, like, four times in my entire life. And one of those times I was when I was piss drunk. So, yeah, I seriously doubt I’m a ‘great’ kisser.”

“You’re joking right?” Louis asked seriously, sitting up so that he was level with the other boy, his legs dangling off the edge of the bed. “You’re actually joking right? Haz, you are a fantastic kisser. Your kisses drive me crazy all the time.”

Harry rolled his eyes, not believing him. “I’ve only kissed you and one other guy when I was, like, in junior high. I am not a great kisser.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Louis said, shifting closer to Harry to cup his face in his hands. “Are you actually insecure about this? Harry, I swear, you’re the best kisser ever. Kissing you is all I ever think about. You drive me crazy all the time.”

Harry blushed a little more, biting back a shy smile that was tugging on his lips. His heart was literally swelling inside of his chest. 

“Actually,” Louis said, licking his lips as his eyes flicked down to Harry’s lips. “Now that we’re talking so much about kissing, I wouldn’t mind actually doing it…”

Harry looked up to Louis’ eyes, feeling his heartbeat pick up. He felt suddenly breathless, being so close to Louis now. Their chests were practically touching, their thighs pressed together. He gave the other teen the smallest of nods.

And then they were kissing. It was a sweet kiss, not like their heated makeout session the other day. It was sweet and lingering, their lips brushing over one another’s gently. It was like a feather, so soft and so beautiful.

Louis’ hands were still cupping his face, the touch electrifying against Harry’s skin. Harry shifted closer, so that he was now sitting on top of Louis’ thighs, his own legs dangling along either side of them. He then wrapped his hands around his neck, pressing them even closer. 

“Ugh,” moaned Louis, his lips brushed over Harry’s as he spoke. “You’re amazing.”

Harry blushed even more, but didn’t pull away. He just pressed their lips further together, relishing in the feeling of the teen’s lips. They were a little chapped, different from Harry’s smooth ones, but they were perfect. 

They continued for a little while, but it was almost completely innocent. Not a heated, dirty kiss like they had already done. They just continued the gentle press of their lips together. 

It only really got dirty when Louis’ hands snaked down to gently squeeze Harry’s bum. 

Harry pulled away, giggling. He looked down at Louis, who was smiling playfully up at him. He offered his bum another squeeze, causing Harry to squeak. 

“Lou!” He giggled, burying his face into the boy’s neck. “You’re so dirty!”

Louis just laughed himself, his chest vibrating against Harry. “I can’t help it sometimes,” he answered teasingly. “Not when you keep kissing me like that. And certainly not when you sit on my lap!”

Harry just laughed, but shifted sideways so that he was flopping onto his back on the bed. “So,” he said, turning his head to look at the other boy. “Whatcha doing? I assume you didn’t come here just to eavesdrop on me and my sister.”

Louis pretended to look offended. “So now I can’t come in here just to see my boyfriend?” He scoffed teasingly. “In that case, maybe I’ll just leave.”

“No, don’t go!” Harry yelped when Louis made a move to stand. Without a warning, he launched himself forwards, tackling the teen back onto the bed. 

They hit the bed together, Harry landing on top of Louis while Louis landed flat on his back on the bed. He was pinned underneath Harry now, who was smirking down at him. 

“Oops,” the curly haired boy said innocently, his eyes sparkling down at the other teen underneath him. 

“Hi,” Louis answered, a smile pulling at his lips. He tilted his head so that he could stare right into his boyfriend’s eyes, his own blue eyes glinting. “You’ve gotten a little fiesty, haven’t ya, babe?”

Harry smiled coyly. “Maybe a little,” he answered cheekily, sitting up so that he was straddling Louis’ waist again. “But then again, maybe I’ve always been like this and this is just the first time you’ve noticed.”

Louis smiled sweetly, his hands resting comfortably on Harry’s slim hips. “You’re cute,” he smiled, his eyes filling with adoration as he gazed at the boy on his lap. It was enough to make Harry blush and bite his bottom lip. 

Louis, who had been staring for a little while, shook his head as he snapped himself out of his little trance. “But you’re right, there was a reason I came in here,” he said. “I wanna talk to you about something.”

“Uh oh,” Harry said half heartedly, frowning a little. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Louis squeezed his hips comfortingly. “No, it’s nothing bad,” he said. “I was just going to tell you that a few of my mates are throwing a party tomorrow night and I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me?”

“Your mates?” Harry repeated, furrowing his brow. “As in, like, Zayn and Stan?”

“My other mates,” Louis corrected. “The ones I’ve been friends with for ages. Stan will be there, since he’s one of them, but the rest are the guys I’ve grown up with and stuff. It’s like a get-together for all of us, but much more wild.”

“Do I know them?” Harry wondered, thinking if he could have known any of the other guys that Louis could be talking about. 

Louis shook his head. “Nah, probably not,” he stated. “Calvin, Oli, Stan and Will are a few of my best mates that come here, but I don’t think you’d have met them. Will’s an art student, Oli’s a crackhead and Cal likes to live on the edge. Not really the type of people I see you hanging around with at school.”

Harry nodded. They didn’t seem like the kind of people he’d be with normally. But if Louis liked them then they couldn’t be bad, right? Harry hoped so. 

“If it’s a get-together for you guys, why do you want me to come?” He asked. 

“‘Cause you’re my boyfriend and I want you there,” Louis said easily. “Plus, the guys usually bring a plus-one to the parties. I usually bring Zayn, but I’d much rather bring you.”

Harry still felt a little unsure. “Are you sure you want me there?” He asked uncertainly. “It sounds like it’s meant just for you and your mates and I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything…”

Louis cut him off with a quick peck to his opened mouth, catching the teen off guard. “You’re too precious,” he mumbled to himself, causing Harry to blush. “And you wouldn't be ruining anything. I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t want you there.”

“Yeah?” Harry asked. 

“Yeah,” Louis confirmed with a smile. “And the guys will love you. It will be great, you’ll see. So, are you gonna come with me?”

And he looked so hopeful that there was no way that Harry would ever be able to say no when he asked like that. So he shot him a smile, nodding. 

“Yeah, I’ll come,” he said. 

Louis kissed him, before talking excitedly about the party. The way he talked about his friends made it sound like Harry was in for one hell of a night...


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, it’s just been hard to find time to write lately, but I’m trying my best :/ 
> 
> Anyways, here’s a chapter, lemme know what you think in the comments.

“Niall, I have a question,” Harry said the next morning as he walked into the kitchen.

The blond boy was standing in front of the fridge, as he usually did throughout the day. It was Wednesday after school, which meant that there wasn’t any school going on right now. Which therefore meant that Niall was most likely eating or playing footie. 

“What?” Niall hummed, not looking up from the fridge. He was mumbling to himself every once in a while as he examined the contents. “We don’t have anything good to eat here… you’ll have to go to the store soon.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Niall, can you take a break from raiding the fridge? I have an actual question that I need to ask you,” he said, leaning against the island. 

“Are you saying that your question is more important than my hunger?” scoffed Niall. “What is it about that it’s so important to interrupt my mid-afternoon snack time?”

“Well…” Harry swallowed awkwardly, shifting his weight a little. “It’s, uh, it’s kinda about… Louis.”

Niall frowned, turning around finally to look at the teen. “What about him?” He asked. “Did he do something?”

“He didn’t do anything,” the curly haired boy said, rolling his eyes. “Lou’s great. I was just wondering, like, about… stuff…”

“Hmm, stuff,” repeated Niall sarcastically, pretending to nod his head in understanding. “Very specific, Harry. I know exactly what you’re talking about.”

Harry pouted a little. “Hey, stop making fun of me,” he whined. “I have actual questions that I need to ask you.”

“Why me?” Niall asked with a thoughtful expression on his face. He turned back to continue looking for food. “If it’s about Louis, why don’t you just talk to him about it?”

Harry sighed, frustrated. “I can’t talk to Louis about it because-” he said, groaning. “It’s not really about Louis so much as it’s about me and Louis. I just, um, have some questions about, you know, dating and stuff.”

At that, Niall spun around with wide eyes. “You’re coming to me about relationship advice!?” He exclaimed, his face turning gleeful. He looked like Christmas had just come early. 

Harry felt like this had suddenly become a bad idea. He grimaced a little, but slowly gave a single nod of his head. 

Niall squealed. “I’ve been waiting for this day to come!” He cheered gleefully, his fridge hunting completely forgotten. “Finally! I have so much knowledge that I have been waiting to pass onto you!”

Now Harry was a little scared. “You know,” he said suddenly, taking a step back. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this now… On second thought, I can just go talk to Lou about this…”

“Nonsense!” Niall yelled, already halfway across the kitchen. Before Harry could even react, the blond boy was grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the living room. “Come, come, young Harold! There is much for you to learn!”

“Niall, I really don’t think this is necessary-” Harry started, before he was being tossed onto the couch by the blond leprechaun. “Oof!”

Niall was then hopping onto the couch as well, turning to face him with a delighted expression on his face. “This is one hundred percent necessary, Harry,” he said seriously. “I’ve been waiting for the day to come when I could pass on my relationship knowledge to you. And the day is here!”

Harry was now looking at his blond friend like he had just grown a second head. “You’ve been waiting for me to get a boyfriend so that you could pass on your knowledge?” He repeated incredulously. “Niall… that’s really weird.”

Niall made some sort of offended scoff. “Weird?! You will thank me someday, young Harold!” He exclaimed proudly. “You’ll see someday that I will be blessing you with this! This is a blessing!”

At those words, Harry shifted backwards. “Uh, no thanks,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “I don’t need another one of your ‘blessings.’” Last time it didn’t go too well.”

Niall rolled his eyes. “My blessings are.. well, a BLESSING!” He exclaimed. “Anyone would be lucky to get one. You’re just being ungrateful.”

“Oh yeah? Last time you blessed me, I ended up upside down in a dumpster while you and your brother took turns trying to throw empty pop cans at my head!” Harry defended, crossing his arms over his chest. 

The blond teen rolled his eyes. “That was ages ago, Harry,” he scoffed. 

“It was this summer!”

“Oh, hakuna matata. Leave your behind in the past or whatever,” Niall said, waving him off. “Now, didn’t you have a question you wanted to ask me?”

“I don’t really wanna ask you anymore,” grumbled the teen stubbornly. 

“Oh come off it. You were here in the first place and you wanted to ask me relationship stuff. So you might as well just keep going with it,” Niall pointed out. “And we’re not leaving this couch until you spill.”

Harry rolled his eyes, giving in easily. “Ugh, fine,” he grumbled, leaning back into the couch and drawing his knees into his chest. “I guess I was here to ask you about… relationship advice and stuff.”

“Mhm,” the blond boy said, leaning forward a little. “I’m listening.”

“Like,” continued Harry awkwardly. “When is it too early to… like, do stuff together?”

Niall stared at him blankly for a second. Harry then looked over to see his friend looking at him like he had grown a second head. He looked kinda disturbed. 

“Harry, are you asking me about when you and Lou should have sex?” He asked incredulously. “Because this really is the kinda thing you should ask Louis.”

Harry’s face instantly flushed. He felt his face go hot as he quickly shook his head. “No, Niall! Ew!” He yelled in distain. “No I’m not asking you about sex! That’s just gross on so many levels!”

“Phew!” Niall exclaimed, pretending to wipe his brow, relief evident in his voice. “I was a little concerned there, H. I mean, I would have answered your question, obviously, but that part is kinda the part you gotta figure out yourselves, you know…”

The sixteen year old just held his hands up, effectively cutting him off. “Okay, okay, I get it. Please don’t continue that thought,” he said hastily, not wanting to hear the end of whatever his blond friend had been saying. “I just wanted to know, like, how fast relationships are supposed to move and stuff…”

“Oh,” Niall said, slightly disappointed. “Well, Harry. That’s a stupid question.”

“Hey!” Whined Harry, pouting a little and crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s just a question! Why’s it stupid?”

Niall rolled his eyes. “You’re not supposed to, I don’t know, follow a schedule or anything. There’s no time line for relationships. You just go with your gut. Like improv.”

Harry just stared at him, expecting more. But Niall seemed to have finished his ‘wise words’ and they weren’t helpful at all. He made sure to say that as well. 

“What? Are you kidding me?” Harry asked blankly. “Your wise words are ‘go with your gut?’ Those are shit words of wisdom! How’s that supposed to help me at all!”

Niall just shrugged. “You asked a stupid question so I gave you a stupid answer,” he said simply. “Listen, H. You can’t plan out these sort of things. Every relationship is different and moves at its own pace. That doesn’t make it right or wrong, it’s just people doing what’s right for their relationship with their partner. You gotta go with whatever works for you and Lou. You can’t do these things by following in what other people have done with their own relationships.”

That kinda made sense actually.   
“Niall, that may have been the smartest thing you’ve said in all your life,” Harry mumbled, his green eyes wide as he stared at his friend. 

Niall just shrugged bashfully. “I try my best,” he answered. “I probably say so many wise things in a day, you don’t even realize it.”

“Mhm, you keep telling yourself that,” Harry answered with a playful shove. “But really, thanks. I never thought I’d be saying this, but I think I’m gonna follow your advice.”

***

It was the first day that Harry was heading to the Pebble Stone building in forever. He hadn’t been there since the last party, which had been several weeks ago. Not that he had enjoyed the party, he was still trying to get over that mortification. 

But this time was different. This time he was lugging a guitar behind him. Yes, he was heading back up to Pebble Stone to finally play music again with Ed. And he was actually very excited about it.   
He had missed Ed, definitely. 

He had missed having him around, his witty ness, his personality and just having him as a friend. But one thing that he had really missed was being able to regularly play music with him. He really really missed it, and was over the moon that they were reuniting in their usual dorm to jam together again. 

Harry had been writing during their fight as well, but only in private. He would sometimes write a new lyric or make a new strumming pattern when he was alone in the dorm. Then eventually, sometimes, a song would come out of it. 

But he only ever did it in private. That was because he was kinda self conscious about it. 

Without Ed telling him if it was gold or trash, he had no idea which ones were actually good. And he was not going to be singing his friends a song that sounded like trash and risk embarrassing himself. He needed Ed’s input before performing anything ever. 

So that was why he was practically giddy with excitement when he pushed open the doors to room 426. He nearly squealed when he heard the sound of Ed already strumming on his own guitar. 

“ED!” He yelled in excitement, hurrying over. Without giving his friend any warning at all, he was launching himself into the redhead’s arms. 

“Woah, H!” Ed exclaimed in surprise, awkwardly patting the teen on the back. “Watch the guitar. I missed you too, I guess. We saw each other yesterday…”

“Yeah, but now we’re writing music together!” Harry said in excitement, plopping down next to his friend and pulling his own guitar close to him. “You have no idea how badly I’ve missed doing this!”

Ed just smiled softly at him. “I’ve missed this too,” he answered. “I’ve been having so much writer's block without you here to bounce ideas off of! I haven’t written a single song in ages!”

“Maybe you’re just losing your creative touch,” teased Harry, nudging him a little in the side. “You’re all dried up of ideas.”

His friend just rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah,” he muttered. “I bet you haven’t written a song either.”

“Actually,” Harry corrected, smiling smugly. “I have.”

“You haven’t,” Ed breathed, his eyes going wide. But Harry just continued smiling in response. “Shit, you have! A whole song?”

“A whole song,” Harry said proudly, hugging his guitar close. He was actually very proud of himself. It was an easy song to write, but it was hard at the same time to put it all together. And he was very happy with the way it turned out. 

“Okay, okay! Quit bragging,” Ed teased, smirking a little. “I wanna hear this song!”

“Ok,” chirped Harry, grabbing his guitar. He then paused and looked at Ed with wide eyes. “But you’ll tell me what you really think, right? I need your honest opinion.”

“‘Course I’ll tell you. I always do,” Ed urged him. “Now come on and play me this song!”

Harry just laughed breathlessly, feeling a little nervous. “Alright then…” he mumbled, before starting to play.

“Golden, golden, golden  
As I open my eyes  
Hold it, focus, hoping  
Take me back to the light  
I know, you were, way too bright for me   
I’m hopeless, broken  
So you wait for me in the sky  
Browns my skin just right

You’re so golden  
You’re so golden  
I’m out fo my head  
And I know that you’re scared  
Because hearts get broken

I don’t wanna be alone  
I don’t wanna be alone  
When it ends  
Don’t wanna let you know  
I don’t wanna be alone  
But I, I can feel it take control  
I can feel it take a hold  
Of who I am and all I’ve ever known  
Loving you's the antidote 

Golden   
You’re so golden  
I don’t wanna be alone  
You’re so golden  
You’re so golden  
I’m out of my head   
And I know that you’re scared  
Because hearts get broken

I know that you’re scared   
Because I’m so open

You’re so golden  
I don’t wanna be alone  
You’re so golden  
You’re so golden  
I’m out of your head  
And I know that you’re scared  
Because hearts get broken.”

When he finished, Harry was left with his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. He loved that song with every part of him. It always made him smile. 

But after a few moments, he realized that Ed wasn’t saying anything, and the smile fell off his mouth. He opened his eyes wide and his head snapped over to his friend, whose jaw was dropped to the ground. 

“So…” Harry asked anxiously, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. It was a bad habit of his that he did whenever he was nervous about something, like right now. 

“Harry… that was brilliant,” Ed breathed, his eyes wide as he stared unblinkingly at the guitar. “That’s… that’s pop star level music right there. You wrote that since our last meeting?”

Harry was now blushing furiously at the compliments, and he nodded his head. “Uh, yeah…” he said bashfully. “I wrote that, uh, sometime in between then and now. Did you like it?”

“Like it?! I loved it!” Ed exclaimed, his face breaking into a giant smile. “Harry, that’s so unbelievably amazing! I can’t believe you wrote that!”

Harry just turned even redder. “Yeah, well, I was inspired,” he mumbled, a smile starting to form on his face. 

Realization dawned on Ed’s face, and he started smiling knowingly. “It’s about him isn’t it?” He asked, smiling softly at Harry. “Louis. It’s about him.”

In response, Harry just blushed even harder and a smile appeared on his face. “Yeah… it is,” he mumbled. 

“It’s absolutely brilliant,” Ed commented sincerely. “You should definitely play it for him.”

Harry had never actually performed for his friends before. Niall has asked on several occasions, but Harry had been too nervous to actually play him his own songs. 

But playing for Louis sounded… it sounded like a good idea. Romantic. Something Louis would actually like, especially if he told him who it was about. 

“You know what, Ed,” Harry said, grinning. “I think I will.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s taking so long!! I’m having a lot of writers block with this story :( I’ll try and update more soon.

Harry tapped his pen thoughtfully against his chin. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at his laptop, his lips pursed in thought. 

Man, he really wasn’t understanding this science homework. He never liked science and probably would never like science. He preferred subjects like english. It’s just that science was hard. 

And it wasn’t that he was a bad student. Actually, he got really good grades in almost every subject. He just struggled a little more when it came to science. He just found it so hard to grasp it. 

And more often than not, he was stuck doing mountains of science homework every month. The work assignments that were late just seemed to pile up, and he always had a crap ton of them to finish up in a short amount of time. 

So he tried his best to keep up with the work. And often that ended up with him doing the homework during the week whenever he had a spare moment. 

Which was why he was lying on his bed that night at 7 o’clock, studying his stupid science homework. When he had much more important things to be doing. 

Like getting ready for Louis’ party. 

He was definitely running behind. The party was in only two hours and Harry had no idea where the party even was.   
Apparently not all of Louis’ friends went to St Lilian’s, so the party might not even be on campus. 

So really, he definitely wasn’t ready. He was still wearing his sweats from earlier and was literally curled in his bed. Doing homework. When really he probably should be getting dressed and trying to tame his wild curls somehow. But nope, he was just sitting on his bed, wasting time.   
In all honesty, Louis hadn’t told him much.

He hadn’t told him what to wear, where they were going or even what to expect. Harry didn’t know if it was a small get together or a full-blown party. 

So really it wasn’t his fault that he was so under prepared for what was about to come that night. 

He didn’t even look up when the front door of the dorm was opened. It was a common occurrence. Neither Niall, Louis, Zayn or even Ed didn’t bother knocking anymore. They just opened the door and waltzed in like they lived there (well, they kinda did…)

He only looked up when his bedroom door was opened. He glanced up from his laptop, seeing his boyfriend standing in the doorway. 

“Oh, hey Lou,” he greeted happily, glancing up at the other teen, before looking back down at his computer. He proceeded to click onto the next question.

Louis just stared at him, his eyes almost disbelieving. “Haz…” he mumbled, blinking a few times. “Harry, what are you doing?”

“Homework,” the sixteen year old answered easily, kicking his legs carelessly back and forth in the air. He frowned when he didn’t know the answer for the next question. 

Louis was just staring at him again. “Homework…” he repeated slowly, his brows knitting in the middle of his head. “You’re doing homework? Tonight?”

Harry nodded. “Yup,” he chirped. “It’s science. Wanna help?”

But the other was just looking at him incredulously. “Harry, we’re going to a party!” Louis finally exclaimed, his eyes going wide. 

“Yeah, in like, two hours,” Harry shrugged his shoulders. “I was gonna get ready when you came here. Just finishing up my homework that’s due.”

“Harry, the party isn’t in two hours. We have to leave in thirty five minutes,” Louis said, raising an eyebrow. 

Well… that got Harry moving. 

At those words, he threw himself off of his bed. “Thirty five minutes?!” He screeched, bolting off of his bed, homework long forgotten. “What do you mean thirty five minutes?! The party doesn’t start until nine!”

“Not officially, but everyone gets there at eight thirty,” the teen said, leaning against the doorframe. “And it’s an hour drive to get out there.”

Harry gasped, feeling suddenly frantic. “Ah, but I’m not ready!” He yelped, throwing open his closet door and rummaging through as quickly as he could. “What do I wear Louis?”

Louis senses his boyfriend’s distress, and his worried face softened. “It’s okay, babe,” he said gently, walking over to Harry. “Really. You don’t need to stress about it, ‘Kay?”

“I do! We need to leave and I’m not even ready yet!” Harry yelled, throwing several items out of his closet and onto the floor with haste. He spun around, looking frazzled. “What do I wear, Lou? You have to help me!”

Louis just smiled softly, pushing himself off of the door frame and walking over to his stressed boyfriend. “Calm down, love,” he said gently. “You don’t need to panic about it. Just wear something nice but casual.”

“How do you wear something nice AND casual?” Harry demanded, his eyes going wide. 

He was getting quite stressed out. He had already been worried about meeting all of Louis’ friends at this party where he wouldn’t know anyone before. And now that he was late and didn’t know what to wear, he was becoming more and more stressed by the minute. 

But Louis just smiled at him, catching Harry’s hands in his own. “Stop stressing, Haz,” he said. He then gently maneuvered them so that Harry was taking a step away from the closet. 

Louis then reached into the closet, rummaging around for a little bit. Harry just furrowed his brow as he watched the other teen searching through his clothes. 

After a minute, Louis then stood back up with a pair of black skinny jeans in his hands and a t-shirt. It was his white KISS shirt, with the colourful logo on it. It was one of Harry’s favourite shirts, but he still raised his eyebrows at it. 

“KISS? Really?” He asked skeptically, raising his eyebrows when Louis passed him the clothes. “Are you sure this is, like, proper party clothes?”

“Yep,” Louis answered confidently, shoving the clothes into his hands. “I already told you, this isn’t a big party. It’s just my mates. Plus, it’s gonna be a long night, you’re gonna want to be comfortable. Trust me, everyone else is gonna be wearing these things too.”

Harry still felt unsure, but he accepted the clothes into his hands. “Alright then…” he mumbled, examining the clothes in your hands. “If you’re sure that this is what I’m supposed to wear…”

“You’re too cute, you know that?” Louis said softly, his eyes staring lovingly at the other teen, causing Harry to blush bright red. “And yes, I’m sure. Go on, put them on.”

Harry nodded, and reached down to grab onto the hem of his own shirt that he had been wearing. He was about to pull it up, when he realized that Louis was still in the room, staring directly at him. 

Immediately, he dropped his hand. “Erm, Louis?” He said meekly, his face turning pink. 

“Hmm?” Hummed Louis, still making no move to get out. He also didn’t move his eyes from where they had been staring at Harry’s shirt, until he realized that Harry was talking to him. “What?” He asked dumbly. 

The boy just blushed even more. “You’re, uh- I need to get changed,” he mumbled, embarrassed, dropping his eyes down to the floor. 

“Yeah,” Louis said cluelessly. His eyes then clicked with realization. “Oh, you want me to go?” He asked, sounding a little surprised. Harry nodded, still not lifting his eyes from the ground. “Oh, okay… I can wait outside.”

“Thanks,” Harry whispered, his eyes still not looking up from the ground and his face still burning with shame. Because he was just embarrassed. He should be able to get changed with his boyfriend still in the room.

Thankfully, Louis walked over and placed a small peck to Harry’s forehead. “It’s alright, love,” he said sweetly. “No need to be embarrassed. I’ll just be outside.”

“Sorry,” mumbled Harry, still feeling embarrassed for making Louis leave the room while he changed. Now he was feeling more self conscious than ever. 

But Louis just smiled gently at him. “Don’t be,” he said easily. “It’s fine. Just hurry up so we can leave soon, ‘kay?”

Harry just nodded. Louis then moved away, leaving his bedroom and then closing the door, leaving the teen alone in the room alone. And Harry couldn’t help but gush over the fact that Louis was so sweet and gentle. It was enough for him to want to throw himself into the boy’s arms and never let go. But he couldn’t do that because they were already running late anyway. 

He was quick to slip on the KISS shirt and then tug up the skinny jeans. Apparently Louis had chosen his tightest pair, because it was kind of hard to pull them up, but he managed to anyway. When he had the clothes on, he opened the door again. 

“Lou? ‘M ready,” Harry called, walking into the dorm. He saw his boyfriend leaning against the counter, eating from a bag of chips. He smiled at that. “You know, Niall’s gonna kill you for eating those.”

Louis jumped a little in surprise, his head shooting up. His eyes went wide when he caught sight of Harry, his gaze slowly trailing down his body. “Harry-” he stammered, swallowing thickly. “You look- wow. You look great.”

Harry’s face flushed again. “Yeah right,” he mumbled. “It’s just a shirt and jeans.”

“So?” Louis said, walking forward and wrapping an arm around Harry’s waist. “You look great in everything. And these jeans are practically painted on. Now everyone can see your amazing legs.” To prove his point, he pinched Harry playfully on the hip. 

Harry just giggled, leaning into the touch. “Thanks. You look great too,” he said, tugging at the grey Rolling Stones T-shirt that his boyfriend was wearing. “People are gonna think we have a thing for old bands or something.”

“Or maybe they’ll be too busy thinking how cute we are together to even notice,” Louis answered easily, leading Harry towards the door. Harry bit his lip at that to keep from smiling brightly. “Now come on, we’re gonna be late.”

The two of them headed out of Princess Park, arms around each other. It was getting colder and colder recently, since November was almost over. It wasn’t quite cold enough for winter coats yet, since there wasn’t any snow or anything. But it was cold enough that they both had to wear hoodies. And even then, Harry was still shivering. 

They were walking across campus and it was dark. Most people weren’t out anymore, so the walk was pretty isolated. Plus, the only people who were out didn’t seem too interested in the pair of them, which was nice. 

They were just passing the main buildings, when Harry suddenly realized that he didn’t know where they were even going. 

“Uh, Louis?” He asked, furrowing his brow. “Where are we going?”

“To the parking lot,” Louis answered easily, continuing to walk. 

Harry did a double take at that. “The parking lot?” He asked, surprised. “You have a car?!”

Louis just looked at him sweetly. “Of course I have a car, love. I’m sixteen too, remember?” He said, poking Harry gently in the ribs. “How else do you think I get to and from my house?”

“Plane?” Harry said meekly. “That’s how I get all the way to Holmes Chapel… I guess I just assumed that you lived far away enough to need a plane as well, I didn’t think you drove there. Where do you live anyway?”

“Doncaster, born and raised,” Louis answered proudly. “It’s where my mum lives with my siblings and step dad. But Lottie, my oldest sister, will be coming here next year.”

Harry nodded. They then got to the car, which was actually really nice. It was a sports car, sleek and silver. It was really nice and looked to be expensive. Like, really expensive. 

Harry didn’t actually know who was rich and who was poor at school. It was always hard to tell because everyone lived in the same dorms and went to the same school. Nobody could really flounce their wealth around in the way that normal highschoolers could. 

But Harry could easily tell that Louis was definitely on the richer side. For one, he wore Gucci. Two, he had his own sports car at sixteen years old. And three, he spent quite a bit of money. 

Harry whistled lowly when they got to the car. “Nice,” he said admiring it. Not that he knew anything about cars or anything, but he felt like he should say something. “I really like, erm, the model. Yeah… looks nice…”

Louis just chuckled, his face softening at the teen. “You’re the cutest,” he said softly. “You really don’t know anything about cars, do you?”

“Well… I… um…” stammered Harry, blushing a little and feeling a little bit like an idiot. “Well, not really…”

But Louis didn’t even mock him or anything. He just smiled sweetly at the teen. “So fucking cute,” he mumbled. “Now come on, hop in the car so we can go.”

Harry couldn’t help himself but smiling at him, feeling his heart suddenly feeling light. His fingers felt tingly from where they were interlocked with Louis’. He let go, practically skipping over and hopping into the car.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh!! Sorry it’s taken so long!
> 
> School just started and it’s been hard to keep up. Plus I had some writers block with this chapter and had a hard time getting it written up. It’s not the best and it’s short, but I hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments :)

So after not too long, the car pulled up into the driveway of a nice house. There were already several cars parked in the driveway, a sure sign of a partyIt was huge and nearly a mansion. The person was clearly rich. 

At the sight of the house, Harry’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Woah,” he breathed. 

“Mhm, it’s pretty nice,” Louis said easily, barely sparing the house a second glance. He didn’t seem fazed at all by the size and nice-ness of the house. 

But Harry just looked at him, scandalized. “Nice!?” He exclaimed, his eyes widening. “This is more than nice! This is, like, the house a millionaire would live in! It’s huge- basically a mansion! This is twice the size of the house my family lives in, and you think it’s just ‘nice’!?”

Louis just looked at him, his face softening. “Keep your voice down, love,” he said gently, since the windows were still rolled down. “Remember, I’ve been here tons of times. I practically grew up living here half the time. I don’t really get excited about the size anymore.”

“You used to come here all the time?” Harry repeated, furrowing his brow in confusion. “But… you live in Doncaster. How did you drive all the way out here all the time from Doncaster?”

This time, Louis just chuckled a little. Harry just looked at him like he had two heads, becoming more and more confused by the second. “Harry, lovely,” Louis said, smiling so that his eyes crinkled. “This IS Doncaster.”

Well, that caused Harry’s eyes to nearly bug out of his head in shock. “We’re in Doncaster!?” He yelped in surprise. 

Louis just laughed lightly, bringing a hand up to his boyfriend’s cheek. “Yes, love,” he said, smiling still. “We’re in Doncaster. That’s actually my house over there.” He nodded his head in the direction of a house only two doors away from where the party was happening. 

The house was even bigger than the one where the party was happening. It was literally a mansion. Like, an honest million dollar mansion. Harry’s jaw dropped down to the ground and his eyes widened. 

He knew that Louis was rich, but he never thought that he was THAT rich. He was loaded. 

“Tryna catch flies, Haz?” Louis teased, poking his boyfriend in the cheek from where he was still gaping at the house. Harry realized that he had been staring, and he promptly shut his mouth and blushed a little. 

“You didn’t tell me you were… well… filthy rich,” Harry said. When the words came out of his mouth, he instantly regretted it. He clapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes darting over to Louis. 

But the other teen didn’t seem to mind. He kind of looked amused, actually. “It never came up,” he said easily, waving it off like it meant nothing. “Doesn’t really matter anyways and it’s not really something I parade around, you know? Now, let’s head into this party.”

Umm… actually it kind of was a big deal. And Harry definitely wanted to keep talking about it. Because, like, who doesn’t tell their boyfriend that they’re actually rich? 

But it was clear that Louis wanted to drop it, so he did. For now. 

Instead, he just smiled at him. “Okay, Lou,” he said brightly. “Let’s go in.”

Louis shot him a thankful smile, reaching over to capture his hand inside of his own. “Let’s go,” he said with a small, reassuring smile. “And relax. They’re all going to love you.”

With that, the two of them climbed out of the car. Harry still felt a little nervous about the whole thing, but those words helped reassure him a little. Not a lot, but they helped a little and he was going to take it. 

So they walked up to the house hand in hand and walked in. 

The house was just as beautiful as the outside had been. It was clearly very expensive, with large random paintings hanging around on the walls. The interior design was also quite beautiful, and Harry found himself gaping around at it all. It was just so big and expensive and beautiful. He couldn't stop staring. 

They had barely stepped a foot into the house before they were spotted. “LOUIS!” Cheered a guy, rushing up to them. Harry didn’t recognize him. The guy had light blond hair that was sticking upwards and fun brown eyes. He was tall- taller than Louis- and had huge, bulging biceps. 

Louis looked over at him, his face splitting into a bright smile. “Calvin!” He exclaimed, fist bumping the guy. “This is great. Thanks for throwing this.”

“My parents are out of town for the weekend, so I figured I’d have a boy’s night here again. You know how long it’s been since we’ve had one,” the boy, Calvin said, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “Anyways, we were starting to worry if you’d even show.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “‘Course I would show. I wasn’t going to miss one of these,” he commented. “Besides, it wasn’t MY fault that we were late…”

Calvin’s eyes then snapped over to Harry. His face broke into a smile as his eyes widened. “Oh, you must be Harry!” He said, letting out a low whistle. “You’re even hotter than Lou’s been saying.”

Harry immediately blushed at those words, while Louis snaked an arm around his waist and pulled him in closer. 

“Oi, paws off him, Cal. He’s taken,” he warned teasingly with no real heat behind his words. But the warning was still there, and it made Harry preen. 

Calvin held his hands up in the air as a surrender. “Not doing anything,” he said innocently. “Besides, I’ve got my very own now. Ollie.”

“You and Ollie are dating!?” Louis exclaimed, his eyes widening. “Since when?”

“Since a few months back,” Calvin answered with a small shrug. “We weren’t gonna make a big deal about it. He wasn’t gonna, like, run across the field and start making out with me after a footie match or anything.”

Harry blushed, vividly remembering when he had done that only a few weeks back. Clearly Calvin remembered it too, by the comment. 

“That was one time!” Harry protested, feeling his cheeks heat up again. 

“It was quite dramatic,” the teen remarked with a raised eyebrow. “And it was a shock too. Nobody even knew that Lou had a boy at the time.”

“You’re just jealous,” Louis said, squeezing Harry’s waist. Then, to his boyfriend, he said, “Cal’s also on the footie team at school.”

“That’s how Tommo and I became friends!” Calvin exclaimed, throwing his arm around Louis’ shoulders. “We started playing footie together in his backyard while we were still in diapers and have been playing ever since. Oh how the time flies.”

Louis just rolled his eyes, pushing the arm off. “You’re such a sap,” he commented. “Where's everyone else?”

“Down in the basement,” Calvin answered easily, nodding towards the stairs. “I just came up to get the beers. Speaking of them, I still gotta go find them. You two can head on down though. I’m sure the other guys will be excited to see you again, Tommo.”

Louis nodded, interlocking his fingers with Harry’s and tugging him along. “Great, thanks Cal. See you down there,” he said as he led his boyfriend into the house. 

They walked through a few rooms, before coming to a staircase and heading down that as well. It led to the basement, where all the other boys were gathered. 

The basement actually wasn’t nearly as nice as the rest of the house. It was more of an average basement, not post and fancy like the rest of the house. And it smelt like beer, weed and boys. Harry wrinkled his a little as they walked in. 

There were about five other guys there, all just chilling in the basement. They were all the same age as Louis and Harry, and some of them even looked familiar. One guy, the one who was sitting on the arm of the big red chair, looked up when they walked in. 

His face lit up. “Louis’ here!” He cheered, throwing his hands up excitedly. 

Louis brightened up immediately, his face breaking into a huge smile. “Hey lads!” He yelled excitedly, heading over to them. He high-fived a few of them, dragging Harry along behind him. “Long time since I’ve seen some of you!”

“Too long since apparently you picked yourself up a boyfriend,” one guy said, raising an eyebrow at Harry. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

Louis looked over at the boy with a raised eyebrow. “Oi, hands off, Ash,” he said warningly, wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulders. “He’s mine.”

The boy, Ash, put his hands up in the air. “Relax, Lou. Was just asking his name,” he said innocently, before grabbing another boy next to him and interning their fingers. “Besides, I’ve got Lukie here.”

Harry just smiled at them, leaning into Louis’ touch. “Hi. ‘M Harry,” he said politely. “Nice to meet you.”

Ash smirked at that. “Oh and he’s polite too,” he commented. “You really lucked out on this one, didn’t you, Tommo?”

“He’s an angel,” Louis answered back, pressing a kiss to the inside of Harry’s temple. It was a sweet and possessive thing to do, and it made Harry practically preen at the touch. 

Another boy came out of nowhere, popping up right in front of Harry. “Heya, Harry!” He said cheerfully. It took Harry a moment to realize who it was. The boy was short and had brown hair, and he looked awfully familiar. It took Harry a moment to realize who it was. 

“Oh, Stan!” He exclaimed when it finally clicked, smiling at him. “Hey!”

Stan reached a hand out, clapping Harry on the shoulder with a smile. “It’s great to meet you, mate,” he said welcomingly. “Well, great to meet you AGAIN. Not like last time when you and Lou were sucking each other’s faces off on my couch.”

Harry blushed a little at the memory of that night. He remember it quiet well when he and Louis had their first real kiss. And Stan had walked in on them. Ah, the memories.

“Yeah,” he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sorry about that.”

But Stan just waved it off with a loud, thunderous laugh. “Nah, don’t be!” He said jovially. “We’re just glad that Lou’s gettin’ some. And that he isn’t dating a bitch. You don’t seem like a bitch, Harry.”

Harry blinked a little at that, not quite sure how to respond. He had never really been told something like that before. “Uh...” he said slowly, furrowing his brow. “Thanks?”

“Nah, probably don’t have anything to worry about,” Ash said, stepping in. “He doesn’t seem like a bitch, at least. Not the type.”

Thankfully, Louis decided to step in. “Alright lads, that’s enough of harassing a Harry,” he said, shooing them off. “He doesn’t know who any of you are. Stop grilling him.“

Harry shifted inwards so that he was pressed into Louis’ side in thanks. He hadn’t exactly known what to expect from Louis’ friends, but he hadn’t expected them to be so... invasive. He really didn’t know what to think.

“So you know Stan,” Louis said, pointing the shorter boy out. “And that’s Luke and Ashton over there. The then that’s Ollie, Flynn and Will over there on the couch. And then Calvin’s upstairs.”

Harry followed as he pointed at each of them. On their turn, they all looked up and smiled. Harry gave them a small wave, “Hello,” he said.

“Hey Harry,” the boy on the red couch said, shooting him a smile. He was on the smaller side, probably close to Harry in size. He had dark hair and almond shaped eyes. Harry remembered Louis pointing him out as Ollie. 

“Now that Tommo’s here, we can get this thing started!” Cheered another teen, named Flynn. 

As if on cue, Calvin came rushing down the stairs. He reappeared, looking proud of himself. In his hands were three packages of beers. “I found ‘em!” He said excitedly, placing them on the ground. “Now let’s start drinking!”

“Woo hoo!” Cheered the other boys, hurrying over excitedly. Stan, Flynn and Ashton all rushed over quickly, their eyes glinting.

They each grabbed a can of beer, cracking it open and taking a large gulp of it. The four of them then sighed in satisfaction.

Ashton looked up, throwing a beer at Louis. “Come on, Tommo!” He exclaimed loudly. “Drink up with us! We’re bouta get wasted!”

But Louis just shook his head, throwing the can right back at him. “Nah, not tonight,” he said with a shrug. “We have school tomorrow. Plus, I gotta drive back tonight.”

Ashton pouted at that, jutting his bottom lip out. “Awe, Tommo. You’re no fun,” he whined. He then turned to Harry, throwing the can at him. “Come Harry, get drunk with us!”

The other boys seemed to be watching him. It kind of felt like a test, being under everyone’s gaze. They were almost watching him to see what he was going to do. Louis seemed to pick up on this and nudged him.

“You don’t have to,” he reminded him gently. “You don’t need to drink. I’m not going to, and Ollie and Luke dont really drink.”

But Harry just looked over at Ashton, Calvin, Stan and Flynn, who were eyeing him curiously. And really, who was he back down from a challenge. 

Without thinking twice, he looked up and winked at his boyfriend. “Oh, but Lou,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he cracked open the can. “I want to.” He then grabbed the can and took a giant gulp of it. It burned as it travelled down his throat, and he tried his best not to choke on it. But thankfully he managed to swallow the whole thing. 

The boys all cheered as he swallowed the beer, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Stan even wolf whistled.

“Now that’s the kinda guy I want around!” Cheered Stan, grabbing Harry and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. “If you don’t keep him, Louis, we’re gonna!”

Harry just laughed. He had a feeling he was gonna like Louis’ friends.

***

“Helloooooo!” Harry giggled as he plopped himself down onto Louis’ lap. The teen was sitting on the couch next to Luke and Ollie, and looked up amused at his boyfriend.

“Well hello there,” he said with a smile as Harry curled up against him. He looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. “I think you might be a little drunk, darling.”

Harry just giggled at that. “Me? Really?” He asked with wide eyes. “I’m not... I’m not that drunk. You should see Calvin. He’s WASTED!” He broke off in a fit of giggles at that. Somehow, nothing had ever seemed funnier to him.”

Ollie looked over at Calvin, his boyfriend, and face palmed. “Oh my god,” he sighed, shaking his head back and forth. “Not again.”

“What’s he doing this time?” Luke asked curiously, looking over to where the other boys were still getting drunk. Including his own boyfriend, Ashton.

Ollie just sighed, clearly unimpressed. “He’s having another beer and doing the chicken dance,” he said, pursing his lips at his boyfriend. “Like he doesn’t know that we have school tomorrow. He’s gonna feel like shit all day and it’ll all be his own fault. Stupid boys.”

“Stupid boys,” chorused Luke, eyeing Ashton chug his third beer of the night. 

“I think they’re funny,” Harry spoke up, his voice slurring itself. He was obviously quite out of it, since he was very drunk. “They’re so funny. Funny, funny, funny. Beer makes them funny. And what’s wrong with... with some funny sometimes? I like funny.”

Louis raised his eyebrows at that, patting Harry on the head. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re gonna be feeling it tomorrow too,” he commented dryly. “Look at you, Hazzy. You’re wasted.”

“No ‘m not,” Harry slurred, shaking his head drunkenly. “Only had one... two... yeah. Only two. This many.” He held up two of his fingers at Louis’ face to prove his point. 

Louis just smirked at that. “You’re still drunk. You’re a light weight, darling,” he said, tapping the boy on the cheek.

Harry then looked over at him. His eyes seemed to zero in on Louis’ face, and his mouth dropped open. “Wow, Louis,” he said slowly, his tone in awe. 

“What’s up?” The older asked, clearly amused. He would be lying if he said that drunk Harry wasn’t the funniest thing ever.

Harry didn’t seem to notice his amused expression, since he was still looking at him in awe. “Lou, you’re really hot,” he slurred, moving closer. “You’re so hot, Louis.”

Louis snorted at that, accompanied by Ollie and Luke, who were both watching him with amused expressions. “I’m hot?” He repeated. “Well you should see yourself, sweetcheeks. You’re pretty cute yourself.”

But Harry just shook his head. “No, y’don’t understand,” he said, grabbing Louis’ face between his hands. “You’re really really really hot, Louis. Y’make me hard, you’re so hot.”

Louis barked out a laugh at that. “Harry!” He laughed in shock, shaking his head in disbelief. “You really are out of it, aren’t you?”

But Harry didn’t respond. “Kiss me,” was all he said, before he was surging forward and capturing Louis’ mouth in his own. He kissed as much as he could while drunk, but it was sloppy and messy. He could feel Louis smiling as he kissed back.

But after a few moments, Louis gently placed his hands on Harry’s chest and pushed him back. “You gotta settle down, Harry,” he said gently. “As much as I love kissing you, you’re pretty drunk and I don’t think I can do this much longer until one of us takes it a little too far.”

Harry pouted. “You don’t wanna kiss me?” He asked, jutting his bottom lip out as it trembled a little. 

Louis leaned forward and gave him a small peck, wiping the pout off of his face. “Of course I wanna kiss you, Hazza,” he said gently. “Just not now. But we’ll kiss tomorrow, ‘Kay?”

That seemed to be enough for the drunken teen. “Oki doki, Lou,” he said easily, the pout leaving his face and swapped out for a goofy smile. It was enough to make his dimples pop.

“God, he’s so cute,’ gushed Luke, his face nearly melting as he looked at Harry. “He has dimples! That’s so cute, Louis!”

Louis nodded and smiled fondly at the boy. “Yeah,” he agreed, brushing a lock of curls out of his boyfriend’s face. “He’s pretty perfect.”

“Me?” Harry asked innocently, cocking his head to the side. Like a cute little puppy. Louis’ heart melted just a little bit more. 

He placed a kiss to his cheek. “Yes you, silly,” he said lightly. “Now, you wanna day goodbye to everyone so we can leave?”

“We gotta go?” Harry whined, sounding like a small child. His pout was also back, adding to the effect. His bottom lip hitter out again. “Why? I don’t wanna go.”

“You have school tomorrow, Hazza,” Louis reminded him. “And we gotta go because we need to drive all the way back tonight. So say bye to your new friends so we can go.”

Harry was still pouting, but he still lifted his hand to wave at Ollie and Luke. “Bye,” he said glumly. “Lou’s making me go home now.”

“Bye Harry,” they both chorused. 

Harry then let Louis help him off the couch. But he wasn’t going to make it too easy for Louis to make him leave. His legs turned to jelly as soon as he stood up, nearly falling flat onto his face. But Louis scooped him up in time, lifting him up into the air and holding him like a koala. Harry snuggled into his neck and allowed himself to be carried out.

“See ya, H!” Stan yelled before he left. He was clearly drunk as well. “We should do this again sometime! You’re great!”

“Bye!” Harry waved as he was carried up the stairs.

They headed out of the house and towards the car. Louis carried him there, before kicking open his door and placing Harry inside the passenger seat. 

Harry could feel himself get tired as soon as he was placed down onto the seat. The effects of the alcohol mixed with the late time made jr hard for him to keep his eyes open. He felt them drifting closed, followed by a hazy feeling overcoming him. But before he drifted off, he felt a pair of lips press against his forehead. 

“Sweet dreams, lovely,” the voice said. Harry fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back with another chapter!! Thank you to everyone who read and commented on the last one. I love you all endlessly 💞
> 
> I have an Instagram now!! You should all go follow it @_pink.sunsets_

When Harry woke up that morning, he instantly regretted it. He blinked his eyes open, before groaning loudly as he closed them again. He whimpered in pain as his head throbbed inside of his skull painfully. He felt like he was just hit by a truck. 

His body felt dead. Like literally dead. He didn’t think he could try and move even if he wanted to. His head was actually throbbing, leaving him whimpering.

As if summoned by the sound of his groaning, a body sauntered into the room. Harry ignored them in favour to keep his eyes closed. He was in too much pain to care about who was coming in or why. He just wanted to die. 

“Nuh, uh,” the voice said cheerfully, followed by a tap to Harry’s cheeks. “You’re not dying today. Can’t when you have to go to school.”

Harry frown deepened as the person lightly slapped his cheeks. He whined, trying to swat their hands away and out of his face. “Stop,” he whined, scrunching his eyebrows together. “Go away. Stop.”

“No can do, Hazza,” the voice said happily, not sounding at all to be in pain. Harry frowned enviously, wishing that he could be as alive as the person above him. “Now, time to open those pretty green eyes so you can drink this water. Can you do that for me?”

But Harry just frowned even more, as he snuggled further into the comfortable bed and blankets. They were just so welcoming and warm. He didn’t want to ever leave them. “No,” he said stubbornly. “Don’t wanna. Hurts.”

Even with his eyes closed, Harry felt the bed dip as someone sat down next to him. A hand came up to his head and brushed a stray lock out of his eyes. “I know it hurts, lovely. That’s why you have to get up and eat this painkiller,” the voice said. 

Oh. The voice was Louis. That explained why the person was being so gentle and sweet. If it was Niall, he would have been thrown out of the bed by now. Or had a bucket full of ice water dumped on his head. Harry shuddered at that memory. 

Harry peeped one of his eyes open into a slit. And sure enough, there was Louis, looking down at him with a glass of water in hand and a gentle expression on his face. Harry forced a smile onto his face, even though his head was still killing him. 

“Hey,” he croaked, his throat raspy. 

Louis smiled. “Hey you,” he answered softly to the teen. He then nudged him a little. “Time to get up.”

Harry ignored him, opting instead to look around the room. He was in his dorm. “We’re at my place?” He asked, his voice raspy and hoarse from sleep. He was just confused on how he ended up there, when last he remembered, he was inside of Louis’ fancy car. 

“Yeah. I dropped you off here last night,” Louis answered. “Niall already left, but I assumed you were still asleep, so I came back this morning to wake you up for school.”

The smile was wiped off of Harry’s face almost as soon as it arrived, morphing into a scowl. He frowned and pushed deeper into the pillow he was lying on. “Don’t wanna go,” he grumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow. 

“Of course you don’t want to go, Haz. Nobody ever wants to go. But you also don’t want to have to miss another day of school because of a hangover. The teachers would not be impressed with you,” Louis said warningly to him. “And besides, you don’t want to get caught hungover AND skipping. You’d get a reputation.”

“‘Already have a reputation,” Harry muttered, almost to himself. 

He felt Louis frown next to him and immediately felt bad all over again. “Sorry about that,” Louis mumbled, self deprecating. And Harry definitely didn’t want that. 

He pushed himself to a seat, opening his eyes to blink groggily at his boyfriend. 

“Not your fault,” he said, shifting forwards so that he could rest his forehead on Louis’ shoulder. He sighed in relief as he breathed in his scent. Louis just always made him feel better. Though his head was still pounding. 

“Yeah, well,” Louis said, not believing what he said. “I’m still sorry. People are jerks. And tell me if anyone is shitty to you and I’ll beat their ass. I don’t care who they are.”

Harry smiled at the protectiveness. They had only been dating for a little while and Louis was already like this. It was sweet. “Thanks, but there won’t be a need for ass beating,” he said as he patted his cheek sweetly. 

Louis captured his hand in his own and brought it up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it. “We’ll see. I’m gonna have to beat some ass if they say anything ‘bout you,” he said. And even though he was speaking in a soft and sweet tone, Harry knew that he was telling the truth.

Even before he and Louis started dating- even before they knew each other- Harry still knew of Louis. He knew his ‘bad boy’ demeanour that he used to have. He was still the most popular guy in school and always had been, but he had also been a trouble maker. Harry had already heard of some of the fights he had gotten in, and had even witnessed two of them. And he knew that if it came down to it, Louis could- and would- put up a fight if he wanted to. 

Harry just smiled, though it was forced. “Thanks,” he rasped. He then groaned a little as he rested his head back down on Louis’ shoulder. His head was literally killing him as it pounded. It hurt like hell.   
Louis grimaced in sympathy. 

“Ah, right. I have a painkiller here for your head,” he said, nudging Harry upwards. “C’mere. You have to take this and then start to get ready. School is starting soon.”

“Screw school,” Harry muttered as he grabbed the pill and put it into his mouth. He didn’t even bother with the glass of water that Louis was holding out for him, just swallowing the pill dry. He then grabbed the water and chugged it, willing the headache to go away. 

Louis chuckled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I didn’t think I’d see the day when Harry Styles said those words. It must be a miracle.”

“That or my head is splitting in two,” Harry commented dryly, rolling his eyes a little. “How drunk even was I last night?”

“Not too bad. You weren’t even that drunk, just kinda out of it to be honest. Not nearly as plastered as Cal and Stan got. They definitely won’t be coming to school today!” Louis snorted, probably remembering the night last night. 

Harry frowned a little. “Did I do anything bad? Did I do something embarrassing? I didn’t strip again, did it? Oh god, your friends probably hate be already,” he whined, covering his face with his hands. Damn, he blew it. His shot at making a good impression on Louis’ friends and he blew it by getting drunk. 

Louis laughed. “Nah, you didn’t do anything bad,” he assured the boy, patting him on the hip. “And you definitely didn’t strip this time, and I wouldn’t let you even if you tried. You really weren’t bad, Haz. Not nearly as plastered as last time.”

“Last time,” Harry snorted in remembrance. “God, I sound like an alcoholic or something.”

“You are an alcoholic,” Louis said teasingly. “But you’re my alcoholic.”

The curly haired teen scrunched up his nose at that. “That definitely wasn’t as sexy as you think it was, Tomlinson.”

“I make everything sound sexy, Styles,” Louis shot back, poking him harshly in the ribs and causing Harry to yelp and jolt upwards. 

He shoved the older back in response. “In your dreams,” Harry responded. 

“Yes you are,” Louis said with a wink, before pushing Harry towards the edge of the bed and then nudging him off of it. “Now go get ready. School’s about to start.” He then smacked Harry’s butt playfully, causing the curly haired boy to yelp and flip him off. 

***

“We’re late, we’re late, we’re late,” Harry hissed as he sprinted down the hallway, Louis running along next to him.

“I know, I know,” Louis said impatiently as he ran along. They both were running along with their backpacks on their shoulders, bumping around as they ran down the hallway. “It’s all you’ve been saying for the past ten minutes! Stop stressing, Haz. You’re starting to stress me out- and I don’t even care if we’re late or not!”

“Yes, because we’re late!” Harry huffed. Man, he definitely should workout more often. 

He was huffing and puffing and out of breath. He was quite unfit. Unlike Louis, who wasn’t at all out of breath. He was just running along with ease. Thanks to all those laps he ran at practice and the morning runs he went on, he was good. 

After Harry had finally gotten out of bed and gotten ready, they were way behind schedule. Even Niall, who was hardly ever early, had been long gone by the time they were both ready to go. Harry didn’t even have time to stop and get his morning coffee, since they were so late. They had had to sprint the entire way from Princess Park, all the way to the building. 

At least the hallways were empty, letting them run as fast as they could without having to navigate through people.   
They skidded to a halt outside of their first classroom of the day; English with Ms Burton. 

Thankfully, they had that class together. “Here it is, here it is,” Louis breathed once they came to a halt. They were both out of breath now, breathing heavily as their hearts rammed in their chests. 

They bursted through the door, nearly tripping over one another as they stumbled into the classroom. It was clear that they had interrupted the class, since Ms Burton was at the front teaching and the class was looking at the front. 

Everyone looked over at the disruption.   
Harry froze. They really hadn’t thought this through. 

“Eh, hi Ms Burton,” Louis said, swallowing and plastering on his golden-boy smile at the lady. “You’re looking lovely as always.”

Ms Burton’s face turned into a frown. “Mr Tomlinson, Mr Styles,” she said, sounding very unimpressed. Harry swallowed thickly at her tone. “You are late and interrupting my class.”

Louis’ smile faltered just a little. “Oh, my apologies, Ms Burton. We would never mean to be late to your wonderful class. We were just… uh… busy…” He trailed off lamely when he couldn’t think of an excuse. Not that he could tell everyone that they were late because Harry was hungover. 

The class immediately broke into whispers. Everyone turned around to their friends and started whispering to each other. 

One girl at the front turned around to her friend, but Harry picked up on a few words. “... late… ‘busy’... bet they were fucking…”

Harry felt his face flush. It now felt like everyone was looking at him, their wide and judging, beady eyes turning to stare directly at him. He shrank in on himself under their stares. 

Because everyone thought that he and Louis were… The thought made him want to melt into the ground and shout at the same time. He wanted to yell at them, saying that they hadn’t been doing that and they hadn’t done it at all, while at the same time willing himself to turn invisible. 

And Louis didn’t even seem to notice. He was still looking at the teacher sheepishly.   
Even Ms Burton wrinkled her nose a little. 

“I’m sure,” she said curtly, her face twisting into a frown. And- oh god- she thought the same thing. Harry’s face burned even darker. The teacher cleared her throat. “But the fact remains that you are disrupting my class. I’ll have to give you both fifteen minute detentions after school.”

Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Yes ma’am,” he said quietly. He had never gotten detention before at school. Last year he had finished grade ten with a completely clean record. Not a detention or a bad mark on his name. And even though one detention didn’t seem like a big deal, he still felt disappointed about it.   
But he just nodded, desperate to get out of everyone’s attention. 

They were all staring at him, eyebrows raised as if they knew exactly what had happened. Some of them turned their noses up in distaste, while others just looked hungry for gossip. Both sickened him. 

But unfortunately, Louis didn’t understand his silent memo to drop it and head to their seats. 

Louis frowned next to him. “Detention?” He repeated, his brows drawing into the middle of his forehead. “For being what? Five minutes late?”

“Twenty minutes late, Mr Tomlinson,” corrected Ms Burton, her frown deepening. “Twenty minutes that you have missed of important learning. And now you continue to waste time- not only for yourself, but for everyone else in this classroom. So I would suggest you go take your seat, unless you want a longer detention.”

Harry nudged him, but it was small so that no one else could see the action. “Come on, Louis,” he hissed quietly, barely moving his lips. “Let’s just go sit down. It’s fine.”

Louis huffed, rolling his eyes. “Fine,” he said, giving in. And if that wasn’t a sign to everyone, then they didn’t know what was. Louis Tomlinson didn’t listen to anyone if they told him what to do. If Louis wanted to argue, he argued. Consequences be damned. 

“Thank you,” Ms Burton said stiffly, nodding curtly at them. “Now please take your seats so we can continue teaching the lesson.”

“Yes ma’am,” Louis said, the smile slipping off of his face as soon as he turned around. “Bitch,” he muttered, causing Harry to elbow him in the ribs as they moved towards their seat. 

They sat down in their seats, which were close to the back and right next to each other. And even though at the start of the year, Harry had hated that they were next to each other, now he found that he loved it. 

He and Louis didn’t have too many classes together, but the ones they did, they usually tried to be next to each other.   
Harry sat down and immediately shrank down into his chair. 

Everyone was still staring shamelessly at them, whispering to their friends. And only he seemed to notice. Ms Burton was busy teaching (not that anyone was listening) and Louis just seemed oblivious to the attention. 

Louis bent down to get his phone out of his backpack and someone nudged Harry, kicking his chair. Harry frowned at that, turning around in his chair to face them. 

It was a boy. He had a devilish smirk on his face, and his brown eyes were wide and mischievous. 

“Hey, Harry,” he hissed, knowing Harry’s name even though he had never met the boy in his life. “Did you and Tomlinson fuck?”

Harry’s stomach dropped. “W-what?” He stammered, his eyes wide in horror as his face burned. “W-why would you say t-that-?”

“Oh drop the act,” the other teen said, rolling his eyes. “We all know that’s the reason you two are together. You must be pretty great in bed to have Tomlinson lusting for you, eh?”

His words made Harry feel sick. He quickly turned back around to face the front again, not wanting to hear anymore of what the teen had been saying. His face and eyes burned in shame and embarrassment. He looked down at his desk, horrified when he felt tears pricking his eyes. 

“Hey you,” Louis snapped, causing the previous boy to look over at him. He paled when he saw that it was Louis talking to him. “Shut the fuck up if you know what’s good for you. You don’t know shit and nobody else does either. You fucking cunt.”

The other teen stammered a little, probably since he had never been spoken to by Louis Tomlinson in his entire life. But he seemed a lot braver than he looked, as he didn’t back down. 

“I was just saying what everyone is thinking,” he said quietly. 

“You want to take this outside, you piece of shit?” Louis snapped, not even bothering to keep his voice down anymore. His eyes were blazing in anger and his fists were clenched into fists. “Because we can take this outside. I’m sure the footie team would have no problem beating your sorry ass!”

Harry reached out and grabbed Louis’ clenched fist. “Louis!” He hissed to his boyfriend. “Stop.”

“Mr Tomlinson,” Ms Burton’s voice cut through the class. She was glaring. “Another fifteen minutes in detention. You too, Mr Roberts. Detention for the both of you. This is your final warning, Mr Tomlinson, before I report you to the office.”

Louis opened his mouth to argue, since he clearly wasn’t okay with it. 

But Harry grabbed his other hand before he could say anything. “Lou,” he pleaded, his eyes wide. Everyone was staring. “Louis, stop. Please. It’s not worth it.”

Louis huffed, but slowly, sank back down into his chair. He was still seething, and Harry could tell that it wasn’t the end of it. The other boy, Mr Roberts, also seemed to know that it wasn’t the end of it either since he was ten shades paler than before.

Thankfully, the rest of the class passed without anything else major happening. But Harry could still feel the shame burning into him as he slumped down into his seat. 

***

Walking down the hall with Louis really was something else. 

Sure, Harry had walked down the hall with him before, but never like this. If he ever used to walk with Louis, it was because they were friends and were just walking together because they had the same classes. Nothing special. 

Whenever he used to walk with Louis, everyone stared. Not directly at him, directly at Louis. They would watch as the football captain walked down the halls confidently, while Harry trailed beside him. Nobody ever noticed him. 

But now there he was, walking down the school hallways, hand in hand with the other boy. They were now walking together as a unit. And it was strange. 

Harry would walk down the hallway, his hand clasped tightly in Louis’ hand, and everyone would stare. Not just at Louis anymore, but at both of them. Whenever they passed someone, they would be stared at and whispered at. They were now the centre of attention. Both of them. People would stop and stare at both of them. 

And Harry wasn’t used to being the centre of attention. He didn’t know how he was supposed to feel about everyone watching his every move. He didn’t like it, and always pressed closer to Louis as they walked down the hall. 

He passed by a group of girls. There were about four or five of them all gathered in a circle, with Perrie standing in the middle of them. They all stopped talking when Harry and Louis walked by, staring at them and whispering. Perrie lowered her head down, as if in guilt. 

They were passing them, and Harry shifted a little closer to Louis, gripping his hand like a vice. Louis looked down at him, furrowing his brow. “Hey, what’s up?” He asked his boyfriend with a small frown tugging at his lips. 

Harry shrugged, but didn’t move from where he was practically glued to his side. “Everyone’s watching,” he mumbled, keeping his voice low so that no one else would hear. “And we just passed Perrie and her friends.”

“Not everyone is watching us,” the older said, looking at him funny. “You’re paranoid.”

“Am not,” huffed Harry, frowning. “Look around. Literally everyone is watching us. See?”

Louis lifted his head and looked around. Sure enough, everyone was staring at them. 

Their eyes all widened when they saw Louis looking at them, and promptly lowered their gazes again from being caught. Louis frowned at that. 

“Just ignore them,” he said, nudging Harry lightly. “They’re probably just staring at how hot we look together.” Harry actually snorted at that, a smile appearing on his face. 

“I’m sure,” he said sarcastically. “Maybe people do that to you, but not to me. They’re probably just looking at me because I’m with you.” 

Louis looked down at him, looking at him like he had grown a second head. “Are you kidding me?” He asked incredulously. “You’re so pretty, Haz! Look at you! You’re, like, the cutest ever!” He reached out to touch his face, but Harry swatted him away. 

“Stop,” he said with a frown, jutting out his bottom lip and wrapping his arms around himself. “You don’t need to say that just because you’re my boyfriend. And you’re one to talk. Big, hot, fit, handsome captain of the footie team. Of course people are gonna stare at you.”

He said it in a joking manner, but it was definitely true. All the girls were drooling over Louis Tomlinson, and most of the guys too (even the ones that weren’t gay.)

There were school fan accounts on instagram dedicated to him, most of them shirtless pictures. Louis was the ‘it’ boy of the school and had everyone at his feet, worshiping his hot-ness.

And there was Harry. Clumsy and not well known at all. Next to Louis, no one would be staring at him.

Louis nudged him in the side. “You’re kidding me, right?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. Harry shrugged in response. “Hazza, you’re so pretty! You have the cutest little dimples and your curly hair and your bright green eyes. And don’t get me started on your body, H, or I might not be able to stop.”

Harry frowned. “Don’t lie,” he mumbled. “People are only staring ‘because of you.”

But Louis was just staring at him with a small frown on his face. “You really don’t see it, do you?” He asked softly. “Harry, you’re literally so pretty. All the girls are jealous, and you should hear the thing the guys say about you. I swear, sometimes I nearly punch their teeth out over it.”

Harry sighed. “Yeah, well,” he muttered, not really believing a word that the other teen was saying. They had arrived in the cafeteria anyways, so it seemed like a good excuse. “We’re here. Let’s go sit down, yeah?”

Thankfully, Louis dropped it and followed him over to the table.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s been taking so long!! I’ll try to update more as things start to settle in again. But until then... here’s another chapter!! Hope you like it :) Let me know what you think in the comments!

Winter break crept up on them before Harry even knew it was coming. He had known that the days were getting colder and that it was winter already, but it didn’t feel like it. He had been so busy with school and Louis that he hadn’t even realized that it was coming. 

But it came, faster than Harry could have imagined. In just a few weeks, it was already December. The year had just flown by already, those three months just seeming to disappear completely. 

Maybe it was because so much had changed. Honestly, Harry was shocked by how much had happened during those few months. He had met Louis (officially) and had then started dating him. He had lost both Liam and Ed at one point (but got Ed back.) He had made some new friends, like Bebe. And he had somehow become one of the ‘popular’ people at school. All just in the first term. Harry had gone from being a no one, to a someone. 

It was crazy, really, how fast his life at school had changed. Before, nobody had ever noticed him when he had gone through the halls with Niall and Liam. He could walk through the crowd and nobody would look twice at him. Before, he could easily get picked on by Alec and no one would bat an eyelash. 

Now he was constantly watched. If he went into a coffee shop, everyone watched. If he walked down the hall, everyone watched. If he went to his locker, he was watched. It was like there was a giant spotlight following him wherever he went. 

But it wasn’t too bad, because he had Louis. His boyfriend was really amazing. Louis made a point of walking down the hallways with him, bringing him to class even if it wasn’t on the way to his own class. He would always spend his free time with Harry, anytime between school and footie practice. It was so perfect. He was perfect. 

They hadn’t even had a fight since they had gotten together, which was something considering how much time they spent together. They just seemed to perfect together, always in sync with one another. It was amazing. 

***

Harry was sitting in his bedroom, his suitcase opened up for him as he shoved the different items of clothing inside of it. There was a knock at his door, and he looked up to see Louis standing in the doorway of his bedroom. 

His face broke into a smile. “Louis!” He said brightly, his face brightening at the sight of his boyfriend. “I didn't hear you come in.”

“I let myself in,” Louis said easily, pushing himself off of where he had been leaning on the doorframe. He walked over, before sitting down on Harry’s bed next to him. 

Harry pretended to roll his eyes. “Of course you did,” he said. The sixteen year old shifted forwards, pecking the other lightly on the lips in greeting. “When do you ever knock?”

Louis just shrugged easily, unbothered as he kissed the boy back. “Never knock,” he answered. “And I didn’t want to disturb you from your very important packing. Or at least it must be for you to miss coming to practice with me and the other boys.”

Harry winced. He had had to cancel his plans on going to see Louis practice. He always went to the practices nowadays, and it had started to become their thing. But he had cancelled in order to finish his last minute Christmas packing. “Sorry,” he said with a frown. “But I’m leaving tomorrow and I needed to finish.”

“I know,” Louis answered back, a frown still on his face and his eyes downcast. 

Harry’s frown deeped at that, not used to this Louis. Usually his boyfriend was bright and happy, but not today. “Are you mad?” He asked tentatively as he touched him on the arm. 

Louis shook his head. “I’m not mad.”

But Harry wasn’t convinced. “Then why are you like this?” He asked as he prodded the teen lightly on the arm. “Louis? Talk to me.”

At that, Louis looked up and forced a small smile onto his face. “I’m not mad,” he said softly, playing with the hem of Harry’s jumper. “I’m just not very happy that you’re going home for Christmas instead of staying here.”

“I want to see my family, Lou,” Harry said, his frown deepening a little, unhappy with that answer. “You can just drive out to see your family whenever you want, but I can’t. I haven’t seen them since the summer and I want to go up for Christmas. I don’t get why that’s a problem.”

Louis’ face softened a little as he looked up. His eyes looked sad as he reached a hand up to cup Harry’s face. Harry immediately leaned into it. “It’s not a problem, babe,” he said gently. “I’m glad you’re going to see your family. I’m just going to miss seeing you.”

Harry’s face instantly softened, and he was quick to move forward to cup Louis’ cheeks in his hands, looking softly at the older teen. Louis just looked so soft and vulnerable, it tugged at Harry’s heartstring. “I’m going to miss you too, Lou,” he said, rubbing the pad of his thumb against the other’s cheekbone. “I’m gonna miss you so much. But it’s only two weeks, and then I’ll be back.”

“Two weeks is a long time,” Louis grumbled, closing his eyes as he nuzzled into his boyfriend’s hand that was connecting to his cheek. 

Harry smiled a little. “You’ll survive,” he said. “We can facetime every night. And Zayn and Niall are both staying here, so you have them too.”

“Zayn and Niall aren’t you. I want my Hazza,” Louis said with a frown. “I don’t want you to leave.”

The curly haired teen smiled at how cute and clingy his boyfriend was being, and he pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to his lips. “It’s only two weeks,” he said softly, not moving his lips away from Louis’. “And then I’ll be back to spend the rest of the year with you.”

Louis hummed, pressing his lips firmer against Harry’s. “I like the sound of that,” he said, his hands coming to rest on Harry’s hips. “But I like the sound of you staying here with me forever better. You should just stay here with me.”

It was very tempting to give in. But for one, his parents would kill him for cancelling Christmas with him. Two, they couldn’t just waste their money on a plane ticket. And he also knew that if he didn’t go now, he wouldn’t get to see his family for an entire year. And as much as he wanted to spend every second with Louis, he wanted to see his family. 

“I wish,” he said, pulling back just a little from the kiss. “But I want to see my family. And we already bought the plane ticket.”

Louis pouted, jutting his bottom lip out. “I’ll buy it from you,” he offered. 

A laugh escaped Harry’s mouth, and he hit Louis lightly on the arm. “I can’t do that, you prat,” he said teasingly. “I want to go see them. Besides, they’d kill me if they found out I cancelled on them to hang out with my boyfriend that they’ve never met before. Gemma would riot.”

Louis smiled. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” he said. “I get it. You want to see your family. I’m just going to miss having you around.”

“I’m gonna miss you too, Boobear,” Harry said, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly at the nickname. Louis groaned, hitting his palm against his forehead. 

“I don’t get why you keep calling me that,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It doesn’t even make any sense. And it’s not even that cute.”

“It is cute!” Insisted Harry, giggling a little as his green eyes danced. He reached up to ‘boop’ the other on the nose. “It’s the cutest. Just like you. My little boobear.”

Louis opened his mouth into a scoff. “Cute!?” He squeaked, looking affronted. “I am not cute! I’m big and strong and manly!”

“And cute!” Harry giggled, placing a hand over his mouth. He watched as Louis scowled. 

“Am not. If anything, you’re the cute one!” Louis said, grabbing Harry by the hips. He didn’t give the younger boy another warning, before he was lifting him into the air and tossing him onto the bed. “You’re the little cutie in this relationship, Hazza!”

Louis hopped onto the bed with Harry, hovering overtop of the younger. He then reached up a hand to poke him in the ribs. Harry squeaked and jolted away. “Stop!” He squeaked in a high voice, bringing his hands down to cover his middle. 

Louis’ eyes sparkled. “Oh, is little Hazzy ticklish?” He taunted, wiggling his eyebrows at the younger. Harry shook his head, but Louis just smirked as he poked him again. Harry let out a high-pitched laugh, before clapping a hand overtop of his mouth. Louis’ face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Oh, he is! Little Hazza is ticklish!”

“Louis, stoooOOOOOPPPP!” The curly haired boy shrieked as his boyfriend started tickling him mercilessly. He laughed as the older ran his fingers over his torso, causing him to laugh out loud, unable to hold it in. 

But Louis just cackled evilly. “Never!” He cried, attacking the younger with his fingers. The sound of Harry screaming with laughter and begging for mercy only fueled him to tickle him harder. He continued tickling the poor boy until they were both gasping for breath. 

After deciding that he had suffered enough, Louis finally gave into his pleas and stopped. He rolled off of the boy and flopped over onto the bed next to him, letting out a breath. Harry just gasped as he tried to catch his breath. 

“You’re a jerk,” he muttered after a few moments, turning around to scowl at his boyfriend. “A big, fat jerk.”

Louis just pecked his lips. “You love me,” he stated with a coy smile, his eyes dancing mischievously in a way that proved that he already knew the answer. 

Harry rolled his eyes. “Kinda sorta, I guess,” he said, his lips straining to keep from smiling. 

The older teen raised his eyebrows. “Oh yeah?” He asked, crawling over towards him. “Well, I think I can find a way to get back in your good books, hmm?”

“Try me,” Harry said playfully, the smile breaking free of his face. He didn’t get a chance to say anything else before Louis was yanking him overtop of him and pressing their lips firmly together. 

***

Harry should have known that something was going to happen. Life had been too easy for him these past two weeks. There had been no major friend fallout, no big brawl between anyone, no dramatic gesture of love. Nothing big had happened. Which is why he should have been expecting it. 

If there was one thing you could almost never count on, it was British weather. 

Harry woke up that morning to his early alarm that he had set. Five am, nice and early so that he’d have time to grab his things and get a cab to the airport. From there he was going to fly to Holmes Chapel and then he’d get to visit with his family. He’d be there for Christmas and it would have been great. 

Or, at least, that had been the plan. It was a great plan, foolproof even… if it hadn’t been because of the weather. 

As planned, Harry got up to his alarm at five, ready and excited to get to Holmes Chapel. He hadn’t seen his family in months because of school and because tickets were so expensive, and he was excited for it. More excited than he had been in a long time. 

But all of that had been ruined the second he woke up to see that his bedroom window was completely blocked off by three feet of snow on the window sill outside. He jumped off his bed and rushed over, only to see that it wasn’t his window, but everywhere. Everywhere was covered in snow. 

“No, no, no, no!” He chanted as he sprinted over and grabbed his phone. He typed in his password as fast as he could, his fingers shaking. Once in, he was quick to rush over to the airport website, scrolling down frantically for his flight. 

“Please don’t be cancelled, please don’t be cancelled,” he mumbled, as his eyes darted around the screen for his plane. He didn’t have to look too far, since it was at the top under ‘Flights Leaving Today.’ His eyes landed on the flight, and his heart sank down to his toes. 

Cancelled. 

Just like every other flight for the next three days. All of them cancelled because of the weather. They said that conditions were too unstable to safely fly a plane there. But Harry didn’t even notice that. All he saw was his dreams of spending Christmas with his family disappear before his eyes. He felt his bottom lip start to tremble, and he bit down hard on it. But that didn’t stop the sinking feeling in his heart. 

There were three missed calls on his phone, one from Gemma and two from his mum. There were also a few text messages, mostly from Gemma. He didn’t think he clicked on something so fast in his entire life. 

From: Gemma

Did you see the airline website??? There’s a storm coming

From: Gemma

Answer my call, Haz. Mum’s getting worried that the plane is going to be cancelled. She’s scared that you won’t be able to fly out. 

From: Gemma

The flights are cancelled. All of them. 

From: Gemma

Okay, don’t panic. Call me when you get this. 

Harry felt tears stinging his eyes. He wasn’t going home for Christmas. He wasn’t going to see his family. All of his plans to see them and spend the holidays were all gone. He wouldn’t get to bake cookies with his mum, or try and guess what the presents were with Gemma, or pick out the perfect tree with Robin. He wasn’t going to even see them for Christmas. 

Before Harry knew it, he let out a sniffle and a small hiccup. It brought him back to reality, and blinked a few times. Slowly, he reached a hand up to feel a few stray tears leaking their way down the sides of his face. He didn’t have the heart to wipe them away. 

Slowly, he turned his phone off and put it back onto his bedside table. He slowly put down his suitcase that he had been holding, and sank back down onto his bed. He sat down, feeling numb and sad. 

Carefully, Harry reached over to grab his blanket. It was fluffy and warm and reminded him of home. It had been in his bedroom before he came to St Lilan’s. He grabbed it and wrapped it around himself. Then he laid back down into his bed and cried. 

***

Harry blinked as he heard the sound of someone knocking on his door. He blinked, adjusting himself to the light again. Last time he had woken up it had been five in the morning and still very dark out. But now it must have been later, since there was light streaming into his room. 

He blinked groggily, pushing himself up to a seat on his bed. He must have fallen asleep while he had been crying, since there was still wetness on his cheeks and the blanket was still wrapped around him. He felt like shit. 

The person knocked again, this time more lightly. Harry just frowned at that. He didn’t feel like seeing anyone at the moment. He just wanted to stay curled up by himself for the rest of the day. But, despite himself, he was croaking a “come in.”

The door opened a crack, slowly propping open. Niall then peaked his head in, almost tentatively. He had a small grimace on his face, telling Harry that he already knew about the plane. 

“Hey Haz,” Niall said softly, side stepping into the room but staying in the doorway. He seemed almost nervous to move any closer as if he was going to upset Harry. “I, un, heard about the flights. That’s shit. I’m sorry.”

Harry just nodded, curling in on himself. He drew his legs into his chest and tucked his chin into them. Shit didn’t even begin to describe it. He hadn’t seen his family since September and he wasn’t going to be able to see them for a long time. He wasn’t going to get to spend Christmas with them. He wasn’t going to crack a joke with his sister. He wasn’t going to compare various Christmas movies with his step dad. He wasn’t going to give his mum a hug this Christmas. 

He felt like crying all over again. 

“If it makes you feel better,” Niall continued hastily, as if sensing his oncoming meltdown. “I don’t get to see my family either. I’m gonna be here all Christmas too.”

Harry frowned, looking up at his friend with narrowed, glassy eyes. “How’s that supposed to make me feel better?” He asked incredulously. 

Niall grimaced a little at his tone, scratching the back of his head nervously. “Well, we’re both gonna be here for Christmas, so I guess we can spend it together now. We can have our own little Christmas...” he supplied, before trailing off and wincing. “Sorry, nevermind that. What I meant to say was, I’m really sorry you can’t get out to Holmes Chapel this year.”

Harry nodded, hugging himself tighter and wishing it was his mum hugging him instead. “Thanks,” he whispered, feeling his eyes glaze over again. He just wanted to go home. He hadn’t realized how homesick he was until just now. He wanted to cry. 

Niall, ever the emotion reader, frowned sympathetically. He closed the door with a small click, and then made his way across the room. Harry looked up at him in confusion as the other teen walked into the room and sat down on the bed. He opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by the blond teen. 

Wordlessly, Niall opened his arms and pulled Harry into a hug. “Shh,” he whispered soothingly, pressing his cheek onto the top of the other’s head. “It’s okay. It sucks. I’m sorry.”

Harry curled into the hug. It wasn’t his mum, or even his sister or dad for that matter, but it was his best friend and he would take it. Besides, he just wanted the comfort. So Harry leaned into the hug immediately, wrapping his own thin arms around Niall’s body. 

Harry felt a few tears leak out from under his eyelids. “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice wavering with emotion. 

Niall hugged him tighter. “No problem, Hazza.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for everyone who’s still here for this. Literally you guys are so amazing. I know I don’t have a regular updating schedule, which makes you guys so much more loyal and supportive. I love you all forever <3

It took Louis five whole minutes to realize that the planes had been cancelled. He had woken up at his usual time for a Saturday, ten o’clock, and was fully prepared to spend the day having a pity party that he wasn’t going to get to see his boyfriend for a whole two weeks. He was fully prepared to spend his day moping around and feeling sorry for himself, maybe texting Harry and hoping he’d respond even though he knew he wouldn’t get the texts until he landed in Holmes Chapel. 

But instead of that, he woke up to the notification on his phone from Niall. He frowned a little at that. He hardly ever texted Niall and there was no reason for him to be messaging him. Maybe Niall was just as lonely as he was without Harry. 

Whatever the reason, he picked it up and checked his phone. It took a second to adjust to the new light with his tiredness, but he squinted at it. 

From: Irish Crackhead

Planes are cancelled. Haz is a mess. You might want to come over here. 

It took him a whole five seconds to actually comprehend the text message. But then once it clicked, he was out of his bed in a second, bolting out of his dorm. 

***

Harry was sitting on the couch, wrapped in his favourite blanket and sniffling pathetically. Niall was still beside him, his hands cradling the younger’s head against his chest. It was comfortable, and Harry would have been happy in that position if it weren’t for the fact that he still felt like crap and crying. 

He was probably being dramatic, or at least that’s what he was telling himself. He was making a hill out of a mole-hill, or whatever people called it. He shouldn’t be a mess because he wasn’t seeing his family for Christmas. He wasn’t a baby for goodness sake. But still, he had been looking forward to spending the break with his family and now he couldn’t. 

And the worst part was that he had been so excited about it. And now he couldn’t see them until school was out. 

They had been there for the five hours since his plans had been officially cancelled. It was now ten in the morning and Harry wasn’t even crying anymore. He was just sniffling and felt like utter crap. He didn’t want to do anything today other than just stay in that position forever. 

There was an episode of grey’s anatomy on the tv that Niall was watching while he played with Harry’s hair absent-mindedly. Harry wasn’t watching though. He was just thinking about all the things he was missing out on and feeling worse and worse. 

“You wanna talk about it?” Niall asked after a moment, breaking the silence that had been there for the past while. Harry shook his head in response. “You wanna call you mum?” He shook his head. “Your sister?” Again, he shook his head. “You wanna just stay like this?” Harry nodded. 

He didn’t want to talk about it. What was there to talk about? He wasn’t going to see his family and was sad about it? It wasn’t something they needed to talk about. Or at least, not right now. Right now he just wanted to stay like they were and cuddle. Cuddling felt nice. 

They were like that for a few more minutes, before the door was knocked open with a loud bang. Harry and Niall both jumped in their skins at the sound, their heads snapping up towards the source of the sound in surprise. 

It was Louis. He was standing there in all his glory, looking like he had just rolled out of bed. His hair was dishevelled and sticking up in every direction. He was dressed in ruffled pajama pants and a shirt that looked like he had just thrown on. He wasn’t even wearing any shoes or socks, standing in their dorm completely barefooted. He also had an urgent, but tired, expression. 

“Louis?” Harry asked in confusion, his voice coming off as croaked and rough from crying and sleep. Louis’ head snapped in his direction. His expression changed from urgent to sadness. 

“Oh Hazza,” he said sadly, walking over to the couch. Harry pushed himself out of Niall’s grasp and opened his arms towards Louis. Wordlessly, Louis climbed onto the couch and pulled Harry into his lap, hugging him close. 

Niall touched Harry’s arm lightly. “I’m gonna go, okay?” He whispered gently to the younger teen, seeing that Harry was taken care of by Louis now. 

Harry nodded. “Okay,” he said quietly. “Bye Niall. And thanks.”

“Anytime, Hazza. Love you,” the blond answered back, placing a quick kiss to the top of the curly haired boy’s head. He then stepped off the couch, shooting Louis a grateful look, before silently leaving the dorm to give them some privacy. 

The two boys stayed like that for a while. Louis was sitting on the couch with Harry straddling his lap, his face tucked into Louis’ neck and his arms wrapped around him. Louis was also holding Harry, his chin tucked onto the top of his curly head. The only sounds were of them both breathing and Harry’s occasional sniffles. 

To Harry, it felt even nicer to be with Louis. Even though they had only been dating a little while, it was like they had been for so much longer. It felt like a lifetime ago that Louis was just the mysterious popular boy who liked to tease him because of his hair. And now they were on the couch together, and it felt like they had been together all their lives. 

It was a different kind of comfort than when he was with Niall, but he still liked it. It was better in a different sense. 

After a few moments of peaceful, uninterrupted silence, Louis spoke first. “What happened, Haz?” He asked softly after a little while. Harry shrugged a little, not making a move to move from the hold. Louis nudged him a little. “Harry?”

“They had to cancel the planes because of the storm,” Harry said thickly, his throat starting to choke up again.  _ ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. Do not start crying right now in front of Louis,’  _ he chanted mentally.

Louis frowned at that. He hadn’t heard the details of why Harry’s plans had been cancelled. He had just read Niall’s message and hurried over, still half asleep. But he should have assumed that it was because of the snow. It had snowed like crazy the night before and there was at least twenty something inches of snow on the ground. There was no way the planes would have been able to fly out in that. 

“Oh,” he said with a frown, thinking. “Well, will they be able to fly you out later when the snow is cleared? Did they reschedule your flight?”

Harry shook his head, sniffling. “The planes are too booked with students and family flying out already that they can’t reschedule until the break is over,” he said, his voice croaking. And despite his best efforts, he felt tears starting to burn in his eyes. 

He was hoping that Louis wouldn’t notice the tears, because that would be on a whole new level of both embarrassment and patheticness. But, alas, Louis did notice. “Oh, Harry baby,” he cooed, pulling him closer and nuzzling his hair. “Don’t cry.”

“I’m trying!” Harry hiccuped, his breath hitching in his throat. 

Louis didn’t say anything, just dropped a kiss to his cheek and squeezed him gently. Harry didn’t know how long they stayed like that, curled up on the couch together, but he knew that it felt nice. So they stayed just like that for who knows how long, just the two of them holding onto each other for comfort. 

***

“Harry, love. Wake up,” A voice sang gently into his ear. Harry blinked groggily at the sound, slowly waking himself up. He was still on the couch, tucked into Louis’ side. Apparently he had fallen asleep there without even realizing. 

He blinked slowly, waking up. He looked upwards, seeing Louis looking back down at him softly. Maybe it was the light behind him, or maybe Harry was just half sleeping still, but he looked like an angel. “Lou?” He asked, tiredly. 

Louis smiled. “Hey, love,” he said softly. “You fell asleep.”

“How long?” Hummed Harry, rubbing his eyes in an effort to wake himself up. Louis just stared at him lovingly for a few moments, just taking in the younger boy. He looked so cute and soft when he was tired. Like a kitten or something. 

Harry looked at Louis when he didn’t get a response, which snapped Louis out of his trance. “Just an hour,” he answered back. “Not very long. Niall came back to get something stuff but I think he’s going out with a few girls today.”

“Oh, okay,” the sixteen year old said, nodding. “Um, what about you? What are you doing today?”

Louis smiled at that, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “I’m gonna spend today with you, silly,” he answered back, fonding over how cute his boyfriend was. “Duh.”

Harry frowned a little. “You don’t have plans already?” He asked, cocking his head to the side. Louis smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek when it got too hard to resist it any longer. 

“None that I want to do. I’d rather do something with you, babe,” Louis answered back. “Don’t you wanna hang with me today?”

“Of course I do,” the teen answered back, nuzzling himself into Louis’ shoulder and sighing. “I just figured you’d have something better planned instead of just sitting in my dorm with me because my stuff isn’t happening. You shouldn’t have to cancel everything you had planned because I’m a big baby.”

“Okay, first of all, you aren’t a big baby. And second of all, my friends know I’d rather spend time with you over them any day,” Louis answered back, running his fingers through Harry’s curls. “Besides, I think that we might be able to do something fun today too.”

Harry raised his eyebrows at that, his interest becoming peaked. “Do something fun?” He asked, sitting up to look at Louis. His eyes were sparkling with curiosity. “Like what?”

Louis just smirked. “Put your coat and boots on and then meet me outside,” he answered back, standing up again. His eyes were glinting with mischief. “Be there in ten.” Then he left the dorm. 

Harry smiled to himself as he also stood up. He didn’t know what Louis was up to, but he was excited about it. Without hesitating, he hopped off the couch as well and hurried to start getting ready excitedly. 

***

It was fifteen minutes later that Harry was standing outside of Princess Park, shivering. He had followed Louis’ instructions and had dressed in his winter gear. He was still in his fluffy pajama pants, along with his puffy winter coat and snow books. He also grabbed a pair of big, cozy mittens (because his hands always got so cold!) 

So now he was just standing there, freezing as he waited for Louis. He was the only one outside. He didn’t know if it was because the campus was half empty since all the students left, or if it was just because normal high schoolers don’t like snow as much as him. But whatever the reason, the campus looked deserted. It was just him, alone in the winter wonderland that was once the school. 

And Louis was late. He said to meet in ten minutes, and now if was fifteen and he still wasn’t there. Harry didn’t want to be that clingy boyfriend, but he was cold and excited about whatever Louis had planned. He just wanted Louis to hurry up. 

He even started hopping from foot to foot to warm himself up, his body becoming more and more cold. Despite having lived in England his whole life, Harry still wasn’t too good with the cold. He got so cold really easily, especially his hands and feet. It was something Gemma and his mum had made fun of him for. 

“Ugh,” he said, shivering as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time again. “Louis, where are you?” He debated texting or calling him, but decided not to. After all, if Louis didn’t show Harry knew where to find him. 

Harry was just debating whether or not he should go back inside and wait for Louis there, when something hard and cold hit him in the back. Harry gasped as he stumbled forward at the impact. It was followed by the sound of someone cackling behind him. 

He blinked a few times in shock, swivelling around. Sure enough, there stood Louis. He was wearing his own winter gear as well, a smile on his face and another snowball in his hands. He looked full of mirth, his bright blue eyes dancing as he laughed at Harry. 

Harry blinked at him. “Louis?” He asked, reaching behind him to feel the spot the thing hit him. His fingers came back, cold and wet. “Did you just throw a snowball at me?”

“Surprise,” Louis said, tossing the other snowball that was in his hands. Thankfully this time, Harry managed to duck before it hit him. “Fancy a little snowball fight, Hazza? Or are you too chicken?”

Slowly, a smile started forming on Harry’s face. “You’re on!” He exclaimed, falling to his knees and grabbing a handful of snow. He didn’t even care if his pants got wet as he started packing the snow together. Before Louis could react, Harry was throwing a snowball his way. 

“Oi!” Louis yelped when the snowball flew right past his face and fell to the ground a few feet away. “Not the face, Styles! Are you crazy?!”

Harry just let out a cackle in reply. “Can’t handle the challenge, Tomlinson?” He taunted back, giggling to himself as he started gathering another ball. 

He threw it at Louis, who managed to dodge it again. He then looked back at Harry, grinning wildly. “Oh, you’re on Styles,” he answered back as he started gathering his own snowballs too. 

The fight went on for a while. Harry didn’t know how long exactly. All he knew was that they were really getting into the fight. What started off with just some friendly, half hearted snowballs quickly turned into a whole war zone. They were both chucking fully formed snowballs as hard as they could at each other, aiming to kill. They weren’t messing around. And Harry realized that he could use this to his advantage. 

Harry was ducked behind a tree, his hair damp and matted to his face from melted snow and his cheeks rosy from the cold, and Louis had made himself a snow fort which he was using to shield himself. 

He gasped and giggled to himself as he launched his plan into action. He peaked out from his tree hideout at the same time that Louis was winding up for a big throw. Then, in a split second, the snowball had left Louis’ hand and had been launched right into Harry’s head. 

He fell backwards at the impact of the snowball, wincing a little as his back hit the hard snow. That had hurt, actually. It felt like there had maybe been some ice in that one. Either that or Louis just had a killer throw. Whatever the cause of it had been, it had clearly worked. His forehead was stinging from the impact of it, but he didn’t touch it. Harry just lay there in the snow, unmoving and trying his best not to laugh. 

“Oh my god!” Louis yelped, his eyes growing wide in horror. “Harry!” Harry didn’t need to open his eyes, biting his lip to keep himself from busting out laughing. It was hard, but he managed to stay still and silent. 

The sound of footsteps crunching ran over towards him, before Louis dropped to his knees next to Harry’s unmoving body. “Harry? Oh my god, Harry are you okay?” He asked desperately, his hands shaking lightly at Harry’s shoulders. “Harry, come on. Get up. This isn’t funny. You’re scaring me.”

Harry popped his eyes open, seeing Louis’ concerned/terrified face for only a second before he was grabbing a fistful of snow and shoving it into his boyfriend’s face. 

“Argh!” Louis cried out as the snow was shoved into his face, causing him to fall backwards. Harry just started bursting out laughing hysterically at his successful plan. 

Louis pushed Harry’s hands off of him, sputtering. His face was red from the snow and his expression was pure shock. He looked over at Harry, his mouth falling open in surprise. That only made the curly haired boy giggle even harder at his expression. “Haha! You should have seen your face!” He exclaimed, poking Louis in his bright red cheek. 

Louis seemed to snap out of his shocked trance and swatted him away. His eyes narrowed competitively, a smirk appearing on his face “You little-!” He exclaimed, before lunging forward. Harry squealed as he was tackled to the ground, Louis above him, pinning him there. Louis then brought out his biggest weakness. 

“Louis!” Harry giggled when Louis shoved him into the snow, and started tickling. He couldn’t stop laughing. “Lou, stop! I can’t breathe!”

“Yeah, well maybe you should have considered that before you decided to pull one over me!” Louis exclaimed back, his fingers attacking Harry’s body. “You little bugger scared the shit you of me!” 

Harry giggled. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He gasped, squirming around underneath the other as he tried to escape his fingers. “I’m sorry, Lou! I can’t b-breathe!”

Louis just laughed in response, his fingers stopping tickling the other. But he didn’t move from being on top of Harry, his entire body weight pinning the smaller boy underneath him from where he was laying on top of him. “Next time you won’t be so lucky,” he warned playfully, winking at the boy. 

Harry giggled in response. “Did I really scare you?” He asked lightly, his bright eyes blinking innocently at Louis. Louis rolled hus eyes, leaning down to press a kiss to his nose. 

“Of course you did, silly,” he said, kissing the curly haired teen. “I was worried I hurt you with my totally amazing and talented aim and strength. I have to say, not many have survived it. You must be one of the lucky ones that got off easy.” 

Harry smiled in response, his eyes shining. “Lucky me,” he said back, before surging upward and capturing Louis’ mouth in his own. Louis didn’t waste any time in kissing him back. 

The two of them stayed like that for just a little while. With Louis pinning Harry underneath while Harry kept leaning forward for more kisses, they stayed on the ground for several minutes. They just stayed there, kissing and giggling happily for a while. 

After a few minutes, Harry for too cold and they decided to move this show inside. Louis stood up, before grabbing Harry’s arms and pulling him up as well. Harry stumbled a little on the way up, placing a hand on his forehead, which had a small cut and was a little red. “You know, that throw actually did hurt,” he pouted. 

“Awe, maybe you shouldn’t have tried to pull one over me then,” Louis mocked, nudging him. He then pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Tell you what, I’ll make it up to you upstairs.”

Harry’s heart fluttered at that and he could barely contain the small noise of excitement that escaped his throat. “Okay!” He beamed excitedly. 

And for the first time that day, he thought that maybe his Christmas at school wouldn’t be that bad after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven’t already, you should go check out my other story A Long Way From The Playground. I update that one a lot more regularity and it’s almost finished :) 
> 
> Again, thanks so much for reading. Please leave your thoughts/suggestions in the comments


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry i haven’t been posting very often on here! I’ve been so busy with my other stories and school that I kinda abandoned this one for a while, and I feel terrible about it. I have to admit, I’ve started to lose interest in this story. But I also decided that’s it come too far to give up on, so I’m going to finish this up for you guys. Again, thank you to everyone who’s been sticking with me through thsi- it means the world to someone who has just started writing. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Harrassment and Attempted Rape. Do not read if this is triggering or uncomfortable for you.

And it hadn’t been bad at all. Even though he hadn’t been able to see his family during the break, it had still been great. He had thought that maybe he would end up spending the days sad, facetime with Gemma and Anne and wishing he was there. But no. He spent it with Louis, and it had been great- much better than expected. 

First of all, the two of them had spent pretty much every day together while on vacation. They went skating together, which had been especially fun, even though Harry couldn’t skate (probably because he just liked the way Louis would hold onto his waist so he wouldn’t fall.) They had watched Christmas movies inside together (well, they usually watched half of the movie. The other half was typically spent either making out or tickling each other.) They baked cookies, made blanket forts and even went sledding. 

It was like every day was a new adventure for them, and Harry had loved every minute of it. 

Then came Christmas, which had been the best part of the whole week. They had had a big party Christmas Eve with everyone who hadn’t gone home, including Niall, Ed, Ollie, Stan, Bebe and a bunch of other people that they knew from their classes and around school. They had all gone to Louis’ dorm and had had their own mini party, with movies, cookie decorating, pranks and a shot competition. It had maybe been one of the funnest things Harry had ever been to. 

Then when Christmas eve came, it had just been Harry and Louis together, sitting under the tree in Louis’ dorm. That had been the best part of the night. It had just been the two of them there, together in the peace of the night. Silent Night was playing in the background while Harry sang under his breath, Louis’ head resting on his shoulder. The dim lights of the tree danced across their faces while they just basked in each other's presence. Louis had then reached under the tree again, before pulling out a small box. Harry had been confused, since it wasn’t even Christmas yet, but Louis had insisted that he open it in private. So he did. It had been the most beautiful silver bracelet, with small flower beads on it. Harry had cried in Louis’ arms that night while Louis had smiled, pressing pepper kisses on his cheek. 

But then, like it was over in a blink of an eye, they were back at school and Christmas was over. Before it had even felt like it started, Harry found himself back at school for the rest of the year before summer break. 

***

Harry was not ready to be back at school, but there he was, walking into the courtyard that day with his trusty coffee in hand. He was dressed in sweats and one of Louis’ hoodies, not feeling like wearing anything else. He certainly wasn’t going to dress up in anything uncomfortable- it was the first day back for goodness sake. He was dressed for comfort and nothing else. Plus, he was still half asleep as it was. 

Louis snapped a hand in front of his face. “Helloooo? Hazza, are you still with me?” He called in a sing-song voice, his arm wrapped around the younger boy’s shoulders as they walked together. Harry blinked a few times, looking up at him with a furrowed brow. 

“What?” He snapped tiredly, rubbing his eye with his free hand while the other tilted the coffee into his mouth. The drink burned down his throat, tasting delicious. But it didn’t seem to be waking him up anymore. 

Louis chuckled lightly. “God, you’re in a mood today,” he commented teasingly, meaning that he wasn’t actually upset about the whole thing or with Harry’s tone. “Sounds like someone didn’t get enough beauty sleep last night, hmm?”

Actually, Harry hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep last night. He had been working hard on all the work that he had due. It was like the teachers at his school had decided to just pile work onto them right before the break, and fail to actually remind them about it until the day before. Harry had been up all night writting stupid essays and doing math equations, and his brain was fried. “Shut up,” he grumbled instead, pouting a little. “I’m cold and I’m tired. Leave me alone.”

Louis raised his eyebrows in response. “Jeesh, okay then, Haz,” he responded, his arm slipping off of Harry’s shoulders. The sixteen year old missed the feeling of it there as soon as it was gone, feeling all the more cold without his boyfriend there. “I was just making sure you weren’t going to fall asleep in class today, but I’ll leave you alone then.”

He seemed a little annoyed at that, his patience probably growing thin from Harry snapping at him all morning. Harry stopped in his tracks, a frown tugging at his lips. “No, wait, Lou,” he said softly, his eyes wide. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired from having to finish all that work due last night. I’m not trying to be angry with you.”

Louis turned around at that, his own face softening. He walked back up to Harry, cupping his face in his hands. “I’m not upset, love,” he said with a small smile. “But you really shouldn’t have stayed up all night. No one else did the work, you know?”

“Yeah, well, not everyone else is here on a scholarship,” the curly haired boy commented bitterly, his eyes darting to the side while he frowned. He hated talking about money with Louis- who was pretty much the richest person he had ever met. “Not everyone is here on their parents’ money. I have to keep my grades up.”

Louis’ face tightened awkwardly. “You know, I could help you with that…” he offered, causing Harry to roll his eyes before the other boy had even finished his sentence. Louis saw him, and frowned. “I mean it, Haz. Calvin pays for most of Ollie’s tuition here too. I really wouldn’t mind-”

“Louis, stop,” Harry said tightly, his brows creasing. He wasn’t feeling soft or sorry anymore, reverting right back to being annoyed. He frowned even more, his eyes narrowing in his boyfriend’s direction. “We’re already talked about this, and my answer is the same. No. I don’t want or need your family’s money, Louis.”

Louis’ lips pressed together. “But you wouldn’t have to work so hard-” he started to argue. 

But Harry wasn’t hearing any of it. “No, Louis. I said no and I mean it,” he snapped, his eyes narrowing even smaller. He hated talking about this kind of stuff with Louis. It always made him feel less than the other teenager. So what if he didn’t have enough money for the tuition? So what if Louis was a literal millionaire? He didn’t care. It changed nothing. “The answer is no. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to my class.”

Louis’ face turned into a frown. Before Harry could walk away, he reached over and grabbed onto his arm to stop him. “Don’t be like that. I was just offering to do something nice for you. You don’t need to turn all defensive on me or whatever,” he said sternly to the curly haired teen. 

“Were you? Or were you just trying to show off how rich you and your family are yet again? I get it Louis, you can afford to go to this school three more times if you want and still be able to lean back on your trust fund. I don’t need you trying to shove your money in my face all the time,” Harry snapped back, pulling his arm out of the other’s grip. He narrowed his eyes, realizing how harsh his words sounded but not really caring. He didn’t know if it was because he was tired, stressed or if these were just emotions that had been building up. Whatever the reason, they were coming out now. 

Louis visibly gritted his teeth. “I’m not trying to shove anything in your face, Styles,” he said tightly. He even used Harry’s last name instead of ‘Harry’ or ‘Hazza’ or ‘love.’ That only made Harry even more annoyed. “I’m trying to offer you money for school so you don’t have to bust your ass day and night over grades. Stop yelling at me and trying to spin this around so that I’m the bad guy here.”

Harry pressed his lip into a tight line. “So I’m the bad guy? The little brat who won’t accept your generous charity money?” He asked sarcastically. Louis didn’t respond, not biting the bait, and it only annoyed him more. “Fine then. I’m going to class. You don’t have to walk me there.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t,” the older responded with a huff. And surprisingly, he turned on his heel and went the other way. 

Harry growled at his retreating form, before turning around as well. He had to admit, a small part of him had thought that Louis would roll over and take the petty insults like he always did. He also expected Louis to walk him to class anyways, despite the argument they had just had. He also didn’t think they would argue in the first place, considering that they never have argued since getting together. This was the first thing resembling a fight that they had had yet, and he hated it. The thought that he and Louis were now fighting made his stomach feel sick. 

But he brushed it off and headed to class. Maybe he would try to apologize at lunch. But he knew deep down that he wasn’t going to apologize for anything until Louis got off his stupid, rich throne. He’d just have to deal with it until then. 

***

With his first class done with, Harry was ready to go to health class, which he had with Louis. And he was not looking forward to it. Being in class with Louis meant facing Louis, and he didn’t want to do that just yet. 

He knew it was petty, but he couldn’t help it. Louis didn’t understand what it was like to be the only person in the school of rich kids to be the only one getting in because of a scholarship. Harry’s grades all depended on him being able to come back for next year and graduating. If he didn’t do good, this was it. And then there was Louis, richest of them all, offering to pay for it like he was a charity case. 

So no, he wasn’t going to apologize first. Then not only would he be a charity case, but also a pushover as well. 

Harry sighed to himself, running a hand through his hair as he kept walking. He was done with this day already and it was only his second class. He just needed to go home and think everything over. His mind was throbbing from all the stress he had been under for the past few days and he just needed a day for himself. 

Louis would be able to make it better. Harry knew that Louis could always make it better, no matter what it was. If he said he was stressed and needed a day, Louis would be the one who brought him home with an excuse to the principle that he was sick. Louis would be the one who would make him hot tea and blankets. Louis would be the one who would cuddle and play with his hair while they watched movies until Harry fell asleep. 

But Louis wasn’t there and Harry had to deal with that. 

He was too lost in thought that he hadn’t realized that there was a group of people walking up to him until it was too late. He had been looking at the ground the entire time, walking so slow that there was no one else in the hallway, not paying attention to his surroundings at all. 

Which was why he was knocked back to reality when he ran into another body. He collided with the other person, taking him by surprise. Harry inhaled sharply, dropping the books he had been carrying and nearly falling backwards in the process. “Oh my god,” he blinked, looking up at the other person. “I’m so sorry-”

A hand shot out from the other body, grabbing onto Harry’s arm with one hand. Two beady eyes were staring right back at Harry, causing his blood to go cold. Alec was looking right down at him, his eyes small and dark. “Hey there, faggy,” he sneered, his hand wrapping around Harry’s arm. It was tight, the hand wrapping completely around and squeezing. 

Harry gasped quietly, trying to pull his arm away while pain flared up. “Let me go, Alec,” he argued, trying his best to pull himself away from the bigger teenager. His eyes darted along the hallway in hopes that someone was seeing what was happening. But no one was there to help him. 

The bigger teeager just hummed, his grip tightening and causing Harry’s breath to hitch in pain. “I think not,” he said cruelly, taking a step closer so that he was towering over the curly haired boy. “Because you see, you and I have a score to settle. And you’re not getting away from me this time.”

The threat hung over Harry, making his heart beat faster. He tried his hardest to pull his arm away again, but he couldn’t rip it away. The grip was too tight and it was hurting him. But on the other hand, he was terrified. He knew what Alec could do to him. He was bigger, stronger and even faster, and could definitely take Harry easily. Plus, with all his cronies behind him, there wasn’t a chance. 

“Y-you don’t want to do this,” the sixteen year old stammered hastily, tripping over his words in fear. “You don’t- Louis won’t let you. He’ll come get you. And so will Niall and Ed and Zayn. And, uh, Stan and Calvin. They won’t let you-”

He was cut off by Alec kicking him in the leg, causing him to cry out while his knee briefly gave out, the only thing keeping him standing was the other’s grip on his arm. “Do you think I give a damn about your faggot boyfriend and his pathetic friends!?” He sneered angrily while Harry whimpered a little, squeezing his eyes shut. “Because I don’t! No one is here for you now and no one is going to stand in my way again!”

Harry was now petrified, trying to now desperately rip his arm away. The tone that was in Alec’s voice was cold and angry, and it was making his blood go cold at the sound of it. “Stop!” He yelled, hoping someone would hear. After all, there were classes all along the hallway, and he was just praying someone would hear him. “Help! Help me!”

Nick Griffin took a step forward, before clapping his greasy hand over Harry’s mouth and cutting off his voice. “Shut it, slut,” he growled into Harry’s ear, causing the boy to panic even more as he struggled in his hold. 

“We need to go somewhere more-” Alec said, his eyes trailing down Harry, body “-private.” He licked his lips and Harry felt like he was going to puke. He was sick and frozen in shock that he didn’t realize that Alec was touching his waist until he was being hoisted up into the air. He then started getting carried down the hallway. 

Harry gasped in fear, struggling as hard as he could now, thrashing around violently. “Let me go!” He shouted, his voice muffled by the disgusting, unwanted hand that was covering his mouth. He kicked at the other teen’s back hoping to get let go of. “LOUIS!”

Liam, who had been standing in the group, faltered a little. His face was three shades paler than it had been just a moment ago. “Maybe you should put him down…” he said, his voice shaking and timid. “What are you going to do to him anyway?”

“None of your business, Payne,” barked Alec, before they were walking again at a fast-paced speed. Probably because they didn’t know how much longer they could hold the struggling and loud Harry, but also because they didn’t want to get spotted by anyone.

Harry didn’t even know where they were going or what was going on. His heart was beating like a drum against his ribcage out of fear. He was thrashing around wildly, yelling out as they carried him off. He was too busy kicking and screaming, and really just praying that anyone would notice, that he hadn’t actually taken notice of where they were going until a door was being opened. Then he was being lowered off of the other boy’s shoulders and thrown into the room. He hit the ground with a thud, crying out as he did so. 

The sixteen year old blinked his eyes open, only to see that they were in the boys’ washrooms. “Let me go!” He yelled at them, jumping up to try and make a run for it. But Alec just shoved him back down while another one of his cronies locked the door with a soft ‘click’ sound. 

“I don’t think so,” Alec growled, his eyes narrowing in Harry’s direction. While Harry was on the ground, everyone else seemed to be towering over him, making him shrink back into himself out of fear. Alec took a step closer. “It’s time to settle the score between us, gay-boy. You’ve embarrassed me in front of the school, made my football team turn on me, ruined my chances with any of your little friends and got Tomlinson after my neck. And now I have you alone and it’s time to teach you a lesson about overstepping where you don’t belong, fag.”

With each punctuated sentence, Alec had taken a step closer to Harry until he was hovering directly over the smaller teenager. Harry’s eyes were wide and glassy as he shook his head, trying to get away. “Leave me alone,” he whimpered, trying to crawl away. “Louis will come and get you if you-”

Alec leaned forward until his face was in line with Harry’s face. He then leaned over to his neck and licked a stripe up it, causing Harry to squeeze his eyes shut as a tear rolled down his face. “Do I look like I give a damn about Tomlinson?” He whispered into the younger’s ear. “He isn’t here. And I can touch whatever I want.”

Harry cried out as Alec nipped at his neck, trying to shove the other teenager off of him. But Alec was bigger and stronger than Harry, and he wasn’t budging. If anything, it only made him move even closer and for his hands to trail down to grip at Harry’s hips. 

“Stop it! Stop!” Harry screamed, trying to both shove Alec off of him as well as try to escape at the same time. But there was nowhere to go. He was cornered against a wall with the bigger boy caging him in, keeping him trapped there with nowhere to go. “STOP!”

Nick hummed gleefully from where he was leaning against the wall a few feet away from where the action was going on. “So he’s a screamer, hmm?” He commented, not at all bothered by what was going on. In fact, he looked amused more than anything. “Gonna have some fun with that. Promise I can go next, right Al?”

“Shut it, Griffin. None of us will get to go unless we go fast,” the bully snapped impatiently, tearing his mouth away from the sixteen year old’s neck. Harry didn’t even feel the tears dripping down his face as he tried to get away again, but to no avail. Alec had him pinned. “Not so fast, faggy. ‘M not quite done yet. Can’t wait for Tomlinson to see what a slut you are. Can’t wait for him to see the marks I get to leave.”

“No, no, no, no!” Harry cried desperately, his hands weakly trying to punch at the other teenager’s face and chest, trying to get him off. “Leave me alone. Please. Stop it. Louis will hurt you. Let me go.”

Alec just hummed. “And by the time he finds out, it will be too late, won’t it? You’ll already be damaged goods by then and he won’t even want you. And I will get away free,” his tone giddy, cackling evilly at the end. “Tell me, Harry. Are you a virgin?”

Harry hiccuped, shivering in fear. By the dangerous look in Alec’s eyes, he was too terrified not to answer. “Y-yes,” he whispered, slamming his eyes shut and willing for it all to go away. Willing for Alec and his friends to just leave him alone, make them disappear. He wanted to be with Louis, safe in his arms and far away from everyone else. Safe and warm and comfortable with Louis. 

An echoing laugh brought him back to reality. Alec’s eyes were gleaming down at him. “Well then this will make it so much more fun,” he hummed to himself. That was when Harry felt two hands reaching for his waistband and starting to tug them down. 

His eyes flew open suddenly, feeling bile rise in his mouth. The drawstring of his sweats were suddenly being ripped open and the pants beginning to be pulled downwards. “NO!” He screamed in terror, his hands flying down to latch onto the pants. 

Then there were two more hands reaching behind Alec’s back, before grabbing the jock by the neck. Alec’s hands loosened their grip on Harry, as his eyes widened in shock. He was then thrown off of Harry, hitting the ground a few feet away. “STOP IT!” Liam shouted, his eyes wide and his face paler than snow. “STOP IT RIGHT FUCKING NOW!”

Alec hit the ground, before looking up at Liam in complete shock. His jaw was hanging open and his eyes were wide, a trickle of blood starting to drip from where he hit his nose. He didn’t even seem to notice it. “Payne,” he said, gritting his teeth. “What the fuck.”

But Liam wasn’t done as he launched himself at Alec. “LEAVE HIM ALONE!” He yelled, punching Alec right in the jaw. It just so happened that there was a sink right behind him, and as Liam’s fist collided with his jaw, his head flew back and hit the sink. Threw as a loud bang that seemed to echo in the room. 

Then there was the sound of footsteps. There was a bunch of movement, as Nick hurried over to grab Alec by the arm and yank him to his feet. Everyone seemed to be a blur as they hurried around, and there was a lot of yelling. However, Harry couldn’t move or even focus on what was going on. With his knees tucked into his chest, he cried softly to himself, not moving from the spot against the wall. His heart was thumping wildly and he was shaking still. 

Then someone was walking up to him. Harry tightened his grip around himself, his body going stiff immediately as he prepared himself. He didn’t even bother holding back the whimpers and gasps that were coming from his mouth. He heard someone kneeling down beside him, and it only made him shiver in fear more. “Get away from me,” he gasped softly, squeezing his eyes shut. 

Someone swallowed thickly. “Shit, Harry,” Liam said, his own voice shaking dangerously from where he was crouched directly in front of the smaller teen. “Shit Harry, oh my god. I didn’t- that was- fuck. They’re gone now. They’re all gone, I promise.”

Harry then peaked his face out of his arms, looking up at Liam. The other teen was staring right back at him, his big brown eyes wide and shining with tears as well. He looked petrified, but only half as much as Harry felt. He swallowed thickly, staring into his old friend’s eyes, biting his lip. “He,” he whispered, choking back tears. “He tried to rape me.”

Liam’s face fell even more. “Shit, I know, I know. He- fuck. I’m so sorry, H,” he stammered, tripping and stumbling over his own words. He swallowed thickly, running a hand through his hair. “He did. Do you want me to go get Louis? Or Niall?”

Liam looked like he was moving to stand up, but Harry’s arm shot out to grab him before he could, latching onto his wrist. “Don’t leave me,” he begged, his voice cracking pathetically at the end. More tears leaked down his face as his lower lip trembled. “Please don’t leave me alone in here.”

Liam swallowed thickly, sitting back down on the ground with the other boy. “Of course not,” he answered back. “I won’t, H. I won’t let them get you again.”

So the two of them sat there, together alone in the boys’ washroom. Liam held Harry, while the curly haired boy sobbed miserably, the thought of what almost happened hanging heavily above both of them like a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. I’ll try to put out some more chapters soon and comments would really help me feel inspired :)


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s been taking so long! I’m in the middle of two fics and I forgot to update this one! I’ll try to update the last few chapters sooner, I promise <3
> 
> I only have a few chapters left in this story, so I just want to thank you all for reading. This was my first ever fic on here and it means the world :)

The rest of the day was a nightmare for Harry. After being attacked at school, Liam hadn’t left his side for a moment. Harry still didn’t know what was going on with Liam, why he had left him in the first place or even why he had decided to defend him again. It was something he couldn’t stop thinking about, but he wasn’t going to bring it up yet. He didn’t think he was ready for that kind of talk just yet. 

The two of them hadn’t left the washroom for what felt like days, but in reality it was only an hour and a half. They just sat there in silence, just the two of them. Nobody came in, which was a good thing because it gave them privacy to themselves. Liam had offered to take him to the office, or to go get Louis for him, but each time Harry had just shook his head and grabbed onto the other teen’s sleeves. ‘Don’t leave me,’ was what he would mumbled. And Liam didn’t for the entire time. 

Liam had held Harry while he was crying, but that only lasted so long. Then Harry would stop and just sit there, sniffling. Then Liam would just fiddle awkwardly with his thumbs, obviously not quite sure what he should do. It was a good thing he didn’t try to get too close, because Harry didn’t think he’d have been able to handle that. They just sat, and it was really all he wanted. Having company was enough. 

Then lunchtime rolled around, and Harry shifted for the first time in an hour and a half. He reached up to rub his eyes, which were still puffy and red from crying. He had tear tracks on his face to match them. “I should go,” he croaked, his voice rough from crying. “I want to go find Louis.”

Liam perked up. “Yeah?” He asked, seeming happy in the fact that Harry was now talking, and also at the prospect of doing something other than sitting still and feeling useless. “I think they’re in the cafeteria, probably looking for you.”

Harry sniffled, wiping the tears off of his cheeks. “I want to go find them,” he said weakly, already pushing himself to a seat. “I want to go find Lou.” Liam nodded, not even hesitating to get to his feet and help Harry up as well. 

Liam then paused on the way out. “Harry, do you… do you want me to come with you?” He asked hesitantly. “Because I’ve been an asshole to you and to your friends and… they hate me. You hate me. And I would totally understand if you didn’t want me to come with you…”

Harry looked over at him with his glassy, broken green eyes, biting his lower lip. “Please come, Liam,” he said quietly, wrapping his arms around himself uncomfortably. “Please, I don’t… I don’t want to walk in there alone. You just stopped them from rap- from doing THAT to me. Please… please don’t leave me.”

He sounded so vulnerable and so broken that there was no way Liam could ever leave him like that, even if he wanted to. He nodded, walking over to Harry and pulling him closer. Harry stiffened at the touch, before relaxing again. “Of course, H,” Liam said softly. “I’m not going anywhere as long as you’ll have me.”

The two of them then walked out of the washroom together, sticking incredibly close. Liam had his arm wrapped protectively around Harry’s shoulders, while Harry stumbled along next to him. More than a few people would shoot them odd looks as they passed, guaranteed that they knew about the feud between the two friends. After all, both of them had made a name for themselves, for better or worse, and people were bound to notice and talk. Harry hated it, and tried his best to just keep his head down as he walked along. 

They passed a group of girls, who watched them closely as they passed. Harry didn’t even need to strain his ears to hear them talking as they passed, since the girls didn’t even seem to be trying to keep their voices quiet. 

“Is he crying?” One girl, the redhead one asked as her eyes tracked Harry’s movements. “He looks like he’s crying. What’s wrong with him?”

Another girl was quick to pipe in. “Jenny told me that Nick Griffin told her that he and Harry fucked,” she said, her voice lowered in an exaggerated whisper. Harry cringed as she said it, feeling his eyes sting with new tears.

“I thought he was dating Louis Tomlinson,” the third girl gasped, looking scandalized. “Do you think that meant that they broke up? God, I hope so. Louis is literally so hot.”

The redhead rolled her eyes. “He wouldn’t date you, Penny. He’s gay. Besides, you don’t go from dating a guy as hot as Harry to dating a girl like you,” she said, causing her friend to huff. “Besides, I don’t think they would break up. Last time I saw them they looked pretty cute together.”

“But Jenny said that Nick and him fucked, and Jenny wouldn’t lie,” the other girl in their group emphasized, her comments making Harry feel sick to his stomach. Liam had picked up on what they were saying as well, and his grip tightened around Harry. “I bet Styles doesn’t even like Louis. He’s probably just ticking guys off of a fuck list or something.”

Penny, the third girl, gasped again. “What a slut,” she whispered to them, not quietly at all. 

The first girl hit her on the arm. “Didn’t you do that last year, Penny?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. Penny just shrugged in response. “Either way, let’s not start slut shaming just yet. Let’s go ask Nick about what happened- he’ll tell us what happened!”

‘He’s lying,’ Harry thought to himself, squeezing his eyes shut tight. His breath was becoming more ragged as he got more worked up, their words cutting right through his body. He hated it. He hated them. He hated Nick. He just wanted to go home. 

Like a godsend, Liam’s eyes narrowed at the girls. “What about if you mind your own damn business?!” He snapped at them, his voice ringing out in the hall. The girls’ heads all snapped over to him in shock while everyone else quieted down. They all looked shocked about Liam’s outburst, probably thinking that no one had been able to hear them gossiping. 

Harry shivered, his hands tugging at Liam’s sleeve. “Come on, Liam,” he mumbled, making sure to keep his voice quiet and his head low, certain that everyone was already looking at him as it was. Liam huffed. “Please, Liam. Let’s go.”

Thankfully, Liam seemed to pick on the urgency in his voice, and gave in. He seemed like he wanted to keep giving those girls a piece of his mind, but at the same time wanted to help Harry. After only a moment, he was giving in and leading them towards the cafeteria again and past everyone in the hall. He was like a bull, parting the way through the crowd of people as he made a path to shepherd Harry through. 

Harry meanwhile, was just getting stressed all over again. Any peace or silence that he had gotten from being in the empty washroom with Liam was now gone, and he was instead flooded with prying eyes and gossiping teenagers. It was just too much for him to deal with right now. He probably would have collapsed in the hallway if it weren’t for Liam who was half leading him, half dragging him towards the cafeteria in search of Louis. And even though they still weren’t completely good with each other yet, he was glad to have the other teenager there. 

Liam pushed open the cafeteria doors and didn’t even stop for a beat before leading Harry towards the other side of the room, where his usual table was. Thankfully it wasn’t too much of a walk over there, but Harry still felt his breath hitch as a few people stopped to look at him, their eyes either confused or judgemental. 

‘ _ How could they get this around so fast?’  _ He thought in despair to himself, his knees feeling weak. He could just picture Nick and Alec going back to class and bragging about how they had sex with Harry, rubbing it in everyone’s faces. The thought made him feel sick to his stomach, especially since no one knew the truth. They just all assumed he would cheat on his boyfriend to have sex with Nick and Alec of all people, and he hated that they clearly thought so low of him. 

Louis, Niall, Stan, Calvin, Ollie, Bebe and Zayn were all sitting at the table together. Their group had grown quite a bit since Louis’ friends had started hanging out more and more with them, and somehow Bebe even drifted over to their table. They were all deep in conversation about something Niall just said, laughing merrily as him and Stan argued about something loudly. They didn’t even notice Harry approached until he and Liam got to the table. 

“Well it’s about time you showed up, Haz. We were wondering…” Niall had started to say, but then his eyes fell on Liam and his voice trailed off. Instead, he just narrowed his eyes. The laughter around the table died off as well. “What are you doing here?” He snapped at the other boy. 

Liam suddenly looked very uncomfortable. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, seeming to wither under the harsh gazes of the people around the table. “I was,” he cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I was just coming to walk Harry over here.”

Zayn crossed his arms over his chest at that, eyeing down his roommate with distaste. “Harry can walk himself over here on his own,” he spat at Liam. 

Calvin was the first one to notice that there was something wrong with Harry. He looked over at the curly haired boy as everyone started grilling Liam, and his face fell. “Harry?” He asked in surprise, cutting through everyone else’s voice. “Are you… are you crying?”

It was then that everyone looked over at Harry, who had indeed started crying again. It wasn’t a full on sob yet, just a few small tears trickling down his cheeks. But it was enough to get everyone’s attention. Harry didn’t even bother looking up, just wrapping his arms tighter around his body. 

Louis was on his feet in a matter of seconds. “Shit, babe,” he muttered, hurrying over to his boyfriend. He shoved Liam’s arm off of him none too kindly, before wrapping his own arms around Harry and pulling him into a hug. “Harry? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” He seemed very concerned, and it just made the tears fall down Harry’s cheeks even faster. 

Niall stood up, slamming his hands on the table. “What did you do!?” He snapped at Liam, his face turning red in protective anger. Niall wasn’t one to ever get angry, and it caught everyone by surprise, especially Liam. 

Liam put his hands in the air and took a small step back in defense. He seemed shocked by the outburst, and even a little bit scared of the Irish man. “I didn’t do anything,” he said, his eyes wide with shock and honesty. “I swear, Niall, I didn’t do anything to him. I was just bringing him to Louis, honestly.”

“Bullshit,” Niall snapped again, his eyes narrowing in the other man’s direction. “If you didn’t do anything then he wouldn’t be crying,  _ Payne _ . So tell me what the hell you did or I swear to God, Liam…”

“Hazza, baby,” Louis said softly, his hand thumbing away the tears that were falling down his face kindly. It was like he was deaf to everything else going on around them, only focusing on his crying boyfriend. “Love, what happened? Did Liam do something?”

Harry hiccuped shakily, gnawing on his bottom lip nervously. “No he didn’t… Liam- Liam didn’t do anything,” he said quietly, his voice trembling with emotion and cracking a little at the end. “It wasn’t Liam. He-” Harry cut himself off with a small cry falling to his lips. He then shook his head, not wanting to continue. 

Louis reached over to the smaller teen and pulled him into a hug. Harry went with him easily, letting himself be pulled over into Louis’ chest. He immediately buried his face into the crook of his neck, wrapping his arms around Louis’ neck while Louis’ own arms went down to wrap around his waist. “It’s okay, darling,” Louis cooed at him, pressing a kiss to Harry’s cheek soothingly. He then turned to Liam and the soft, caring exterior melted off into a venomous glare that would make anyone tremble in their shoes. “Payne, explain now what the hell happened,” he commanded, his voice deathly low. 

Liam swallowed thickly, nodding his head. “It was Alec and his friends,” he said hastily, his hands fiddling together with themselves. 

“So it was you,” Zayn commented with a glare. 

Liam lowered his head in shame. “Not anymore,” he mumbled, looking down at the ground nervously. “Not… I would ever do what they were trying to do…”

Harry inhaled sharply as Louis’ hands tightened on his waist almost painfully. “What the fuck did they do?” Louis snapped, his eyes narrowed into slits. Harry couldn’t even see his face from where he was hidden behind Louis’ neck- but he could tell that his boyfriend had the most terrifying expression on his face that made everyone shrink back in fear. 

“Harry was walking down the hall to get to class and nobody else was there. Alex and his gang saw him and decided to grab him. Then they… they took him to the washroom and-” Liam explained, his voice shaking from both nervousness and fear. Harry whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut and cutting the other teen off. Liam looked at him sadly. 

Zayn clenched his jaw, staring at his roommate. “What did they do?” He asked, his own voice low and emotionless. Everyone around the table was dead silent, only staring at Liam. The only sound around the table was the sound of Harry’s whimpers and hiccups. 

Liam let out a shuddering breath through his mouth. “They…” he then looked nervously directly at Louis, who was staring at him with a death glare. “They tried to rape him.”

Time seemed to freeze. It was like everyone was completely still. Nobody moved, nobody said anything, nobody even breathed for what felt like ages. Harry could feel the shame sinking into him as his arms tightened around Louis’ neck, who was standing limp in front of him. The sixteen year old squeezed his eyes shut, causing a few more tears to leak out down his cheeks. He then let out a small, wet sob. 

The sob was what snapped them back to reality. “Fuck,” Louis breathed, his chest started to heave. The hands that had previously been holding onto Harry’s waist, dropped to his sides. He was shaking. “FUCK!” 

Bebe seemed to be in shock as she just blinked. “He tried to…  _ what?”  _ She stammered, her jaw falling open. Her eyes flew over to Harry, who lowered his head in shame. “Harry…”

The next thing Harry knew was that Louis was gone from his hold in a second. His head snapped up to see his boyfriend stomping at full speed from the table and towards Alec and his friends’ table. “HENDERSON! I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!” He shouted, his voice booming in the entire cafeteria, causing everyone to look over in shock. Alec, who had been sitting with all his friends having a good time, looked up. His eyes widened suddenly as Louis approached them. 

“Shit, Tomlinson,” Alec said, scurrying to his feet. He seemed to be standing nervously, his face etched with fear as Louis marche up to him. He swallowed thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Uh, what are you doing over here…”

Louis responded by winding back and punching Alec right in the middle of his face. Gasps flew around the room as the bully stumbled backwards out of shock, his hands flying up to cover his nose. “YOU FUCKER! HOW DARE YOU LAY A FINGER ON HARRY!” Before Alec could say anything, Louis was throwing more punches and knocking him to the ground. 

Harry blinked in shock as Alec’s friends from around the table finally reacted, jumping to their feet as they hurried over to where his boyfriend was fighting off the bully. “Louis!” He gasped, seeing Louis starting to get surrounded by the table of Alec’s cronies. He started to make a move to run over to him, when Ollie grabbed onto arm and pulled him back. Harry struggled as Ollie tugged him over to the table and wrapped his arms around him, keeping him held tightly in a hug so that he couldn’t escape. 

“Shit,” growled Niall, also jumping up from the table. Before Harry knew what was happening, Niall, Zayn, Calvin and Stan were sprinting over to the fight to help Louis. 

It was the kind of fight you’d see in movies. The footie team looked over at the commotion as well only to see Louis, their captain, get socked in the eye by one of Alec’s friends. Then at least eight of them hopped up as well to join the fight. Then it was all of them, gathered in the middle of the cafeteria, throwing punches at one another while everyone else gathered around to watch it. Their classmates and other students ran over to gather in a ring around the fight, making it hard for Harry to see what was going on. All he could see was the occasional person getting thrown to the ground between the gap of students watching. 

Harry struggled to break free. “Louis-” he gasped, trying to pull away from the other teen. He still couldn’t see his boyfriend and it was worrying him. “Louis is over there-”

“I know, I know, H. He’s gonna be fine, yeah? Calm down,” Ollie said, but even he sounded worried. Probably because his own boyfriend Calvin was over in the fight as well. He tightened his arms around Harry, not letting him go. “He’s going to be fine. It’s going to be fine.”

After what felt like ages, the teachers started hurrying over to the scene. Harry bit down on his lip nervously as the teachers started yelling things at the students, probably threatening them if they didn’t stop fighting. Then Mr Haffis, the gym teacher, and Mr Girard, the huge history teacher, reached in to yank apart Alec and Louis, who had still been going at it. Mr Haffis grabbed onto Louis’ shoulders and pulled him back, only for Harry to finally see him. 

His heart faltered in his chest once he caught sight of his boyfriend. It was obvious that Alec was the worse one off out of the two of them, but that wasn’t what worried Harry. Despite clearly have had the upper hand in the fight, Louis was still beaten up badly. His left eye was swollen and already getting a black eye around it, and his lip was busted open, dripping fresh blood from it. He had a little bit of a limp too, by the way he was holding himself. 

“EVERYONE BACK TO YOUR SEATS!” Mr Morrison, the principle shouted at them. The group scattered at that, everyone going back to their tables. But even though they weren’t gathered around anymore, they were all still watching carefully. The only people still there were Louis, Stan, Niall, Zayn, Calvin, Alec and Nick. The seven of them were all standing together while the two teachers held back Louis and Alec. 

It was then that Harry finally broke free of Ollie’s hold. Before the other teen could grab him again, he was already running over towards them. 

Harry ran over to Louis immediately, pushing past everyone else to get to him. “Louis,” he breathed, reaching up to cup his boyfriend’s face carefully. His eyes widened as Louis winced a little, obviously trying to hide the pain but failing. Harry’s fingers carefully tracked over an ugly purple bruise that was on his jaw. “Oh my god, Lou.”

“I’m fine,” Louis said softly, but he was clenching his jaw while he said it. His hands dropped down to Harry’s waist, where he thumbed his skin gently. “Go back to your seat, Hazza.”

But Harry was focused on the bruises on Louis’ face. “God, Louis. You’re hurt...” he breathed, his hand coming up to wipe the blood that was dripping from his busted lip. Louis hissed quietly. “Lou…”

Louis’ eyes flicked up past Harry’s head, obviously looking at Alec who was directly behind him. His hands tightened around the sixteen year old’s waist. “Harry. Go back to your seat, please,” he said tightly, his tone leaving no room for argument. 

However, before he could move, Alec decided to lean forward as far as he could while being restrained by Mr Girard. “So I take it you decided to snitch to Tomlinson, slut,” he hissed into Harry’s ear, causing the younger teen to jump. 

Louis growled protectively, struggling from where Mr Haffis was holding him back. “Don’t talk to him!” He shouted, wiggling around as he tried to break free of the teacher’s hold. 

It didn’t faze Alec, since he always was braver when there was someone protecting him, which in this case was the teachers. He just smirked up at Louis challengingly, before leaning down to lick a stripe up Harry’s ear. “Bet you would have liked it too, wouldn’t you  _ Harry?”  _ He murmured into the frozen teen’s ear. 

Without thinking twice, Harry was spinning around on his heel, before punching his fist directly into Alec’s face. Alec stumbled back, groaning in pain and shock. Harry blinked a few times, before his own face broke. “Ouch, shit,” he gasped, cradling his hand into his chest. God that hurt. He stumbled back a little until his back came flush against Louis’ chest, who wrapped his arms around Harry protectively. 

Alec reached up to touch his nose, which had already been bleeding before Harry had punched it again. He wiped the blood off, before looking at Harry with anger and shock. “Did you just punch me you little bitch,” he snarled, his fists clenching at his sides. Harry flinched, backing even further into Louis. 

But before any of them could react again, Mr Morrison came over to them, his expression steely. Everyone froze as he marched over to them. “In my office. Now,” he commanded to them, staring at both Alec and Louis with a clenched jaw. 

Louis huffed, shaking the teacher’s hands off of him as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Fine,” he growled at the principal, shooting a glare at Alec. “I’ll see you when I’m out, Haz-”

“Mr Styles. You too,” Mr Morrison interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest. Harry’s head snapped up, his eyes widening in surprise. Louis’ expression matched his shocked one, and even Alec seemed a little surprised by that. 

“Me?” Harry asked dumbly, blinking. 

“Yes you, Mr Styles,” the principal said, raising his eyebrows. “Did you not just punch Mr Henderson in the face just a moment ago? Because that is what I just saw happen. So yes, in my office now, Mr Styles.”

***

Alec got off with a week long in school suspension. And that was it. He didn’t get expelled, he didn’t get a spot on his permanent record of attempted rape or sexual assault. He got off with a suspension, letter to his parents and a warning. That was all he got for what he had almost done. 

Meanwhile, Louis and Harry had landed themselves double detention together after school. And, apparently, that was letting them off easily. Louis should have gotten more time for starting a fight at school and for breaking another student’s nose, but he didn’t because he was rich. Mr Morrison didn’t exactly say that that was the reason, but it was implied. Because Louis’ family donated so much money to the school, he got off with almost nothing. But, as Louis assured Harry as soon as they got out, they wouldn’t be giving the school anymore money after that. 

As for Harry, he got the same punishment as Louis, and that was for injuring another student. He got the exact same punishment as Louis simply for throwing a single punch, when so many other students had done more than him. Nick didn’t even get a punishment, even though he had participated in the entire thing. And Niall, Stan, Calvin or Zayn got a punishment either, and they had even been in the middle of it all. But no, Harry had been the one who got detention. 

Louis sat in the chair in the class, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently as his eyes were glued on the clock. They had only been in detention for ten minutes and he was already ready to leave. “This is bullshit,” he growled under his breath. 

They weren’t even supposed to be talking, since it was a punishment, but it didn’t matter. There were only three other people in the class, and they weren’t paying the least bit of attention to them. Two of them were wearing bulky headphones while they drew mindlessly in their sketchbooks, while the other person was blabbing away to someone on the phone. And then there was the substitute at the front of the class, who was all too busy playing tetris to pay attention to them. 

Harry hummed, pulling his knees into his chest from where he was sitting in his own chair. He knew that it wasn’t fair. He knew that he didn’t do anything wrong. He knew that he shouldn’t be being punished for standing up for himself. But still, a small part of his mind nagged him that he was the reason he and Louis needed to sit through detention. “You shouldn’t have fought him,” he commented quietly, looking down at his hands. “Now you need to stay here for an hour.”

Louis turned around in his chair so that he was looking at Harry. “Fuck that. It’s bullshit because you shouldn’t even be here in the first place,” he said, a frown tugging at his lips. “Haz, I don’t care about me being in here. You’re the one I care about here.”

The sixteen year old just shrugged his shoulders quietly. “Still,” he mumbled. “It wasn’t worth it.”

He didn’t look up when he heard the sound of Louis shoving his head back and getting out of it. He only looked up with Louis crouched next to him, cupping his chin and forcing his head upwards. “Hazza,” Louis said softly, his blue eyes bearing into the other teen. “Of course it was worth it. When that bastard did was disgusting and nobody, especially you, should ever have to deal with that. He tried to violate you, Harry. So I don’t care if I have to sit through however many detentions they want to throw at me, because I would do it again if I had to. Because I love you.”

Harry’s bottom lip was trembling at the end of it, and a few tears leaked down the sides of his cheeks, which Louis thumbed away caringly. “Y-you love me?” He stammered thickly, feeling emotion starting to clog his throat. 

Louis’ face softened. “Yes, Harry, of course I love you,” he said sweetly. “Please tell me you knew that already. I’ve been so in love with you for so long, darling.”

“I-I know, but… but this is the first time you said it,” he said, reaching up to wipe a few of the tears that were gathering out of his eyes. But it did nothing as a few more just slid down his cheeks. “And I love you too, Lou. I love you so much.”

Louis smiled at that, leaning forward. “Good to know,” he whispered, getting closer. “I’m gonna kiss you now, okay Haz?” Harry bit his lip, nodding shyly as he leaned forwards as well. Louis then pressed their lips together, keeping his hands cupping the other’s face while Harry’s hands wrapped around the back of his neck. They then kissed softly, Louis making sure to go extra slow and gentle in case Harry wasn’t feeling it in light of what happened earlier in the day. The thought that he had such an amazing boyfriend just made Harry smile as he kissed back, feeling much lighter than he had all day. 

Just as Louis’ hand was starting to feel it’s way up his shirt, he stopped suddenly as a thought came to mind. “Louis,” he said, breaking the kiss as he pulled away a little. Louis looked up immediately, blinking a few times as he quickly withdrew his hand again. Harry swallowed thickly. “I’m a virgin.”

Louis’ face faltered as his eyes widened. “Oh, shit, Harry. I wasn’t going to, like, have sex with you in detention or anything. I was like- we were- it was just- I was just going to kiss you. Not, like, do it on the desk…” he said, a blush coating his cheeks. 

Harry also blushed, both from embarrassment and from picturing Louis actually doing just that. “No, that’s not what I meant,” he covered, biting his lip nervously. “What I mean is that… that Alec tried to, you know. And I don’t- I don’t want my first time to be from getting, uh, assaulted. I don’t want to give my virginity to anyone because they rape me. I don’t want to give it to anyone else, Louis. I want, uh, I want you to do it…”

At that, Louis sat up straighter. “Hang on, Harry, stop right there,” he said seriously, his lips pursing tightly together. “You shouldn’t try to lose your virginity just because a jackass like Alec tried to take it from you. You shouldn’t rush it because he tried something and you’re scared to lose it to someone like him. That’s something you let go of because you’re ready to, not because you’re scared.”

“But Lou,” Harry said, his hand reaching over to intertwine with his boyfriend’s. “I don’t want it to be anyone else. I want to be you.”

But Louis was still very unconvinced. “You know I won’t let anyone lay a finger on you ever again, right? You don’t need to worry about anyone trying anything again,” he said protectively. “You don’t need to have sex because of that…”

“But Louis,” Harry said suddenly, his hands coming up to play with his boyfriend’s hair, running his fingers through the fringe. “I want to. I want to and I want to do it with you.”

“Hazza, love, you don’t need to rush it,” the older said gently, his own hands thumbing at the tears tracks that were still staining his face. “This is something you do when you’re ready…”

“But I am ready. I am, Louis. I don’t get why this is so hard to understand because you’re not even a virgin anymore. I want to do this,” he said, chewing on his bottom lip. “I love you, Lou. And I want to.”

Louis looked at him for a long time, chewing on his bottom lip in thought. His eyes were soft, but it was obvious he was still a little bit unconvinced. “Okay then. I trust you,” he said, leaning forward to peck him on the lips. “If you’re ready, then I’d love to, babe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think :)


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who waited for this chapter. 
> 
> Writers block is a bitch.

Harry sat at the table in the Dream Bean Cafe, a cup of his favourite latte in his hands, the warmth warming him up from the outside. Across from him, Niall was also sitting there, a double chocolate muffin on a plate in front of him. It was just the two of them sitting there, but neither one of them were saying much. 

The Cafe wasn’t that busy, but that was because it was a Tuesday morning and most people were in class. The only real reason that they themselves weren’t in class as well was because Harry was taking the day off (which the Guidance Counselor had actually recommended) and Niall was skipping with him (which no one objected to.) Because of that, they got the Cafe all to themselves besides a few people in the corner, tapping away on computers, and the odd couple that would walk in every once in a while. 

But besides that, it was just the two of them and they were grateful for that. Because the conversation they were going to be having was going to be one that they didn’t necessarily want everyone around to hear. 

Harry lifted the mug to his lips and took a small sip, feeling the hot beverage burn it’s way down his throat. He bit back a sigh. God, he loved coffee. Some people had comfort foods that they ate whenever they were nervous or stressed, but for Harry it was coffee. He had probably gone through an unhealthy amount of it during the past few days, but he didn’t care. It made him feel better and no one had any objections to that. 

It had been just over a week since the ‘incident.’ That’s what they were calling it; an ‘incident’. It was in reference to Harry’s near-assault, which was also a name that the Counselor had made up to put a label on it. It was like no one wanted to address it as it was, so they were just calling it an ‘incident.’ In Harry’s opinion, that just sounded like they were avoiding talking about it, but he didn’t mind. He wasn’t too fond of talking about it either. 

It had been a rough few days after it had happened. The first and second nights had been the worst of all, when Harry would wake up screaming and thrashing around in his bed, still asleep and being haunted in his nightmares. Which in turn led to the other boys getting no sleep at all either, from either being beside themselves with thoughts or being woken by Harry. 

Zayn and Louis had pretty much been living there already before the incident, but after they had been there almost 24/7. Zayn had decided to camp out on the couch every night. It was almost like he was standing guard, though rationally they all knew it was pointless. But it seemed to help him sleep better at night knowing that anyone on the other side of the door would have to go through him to get to Harry. Niall on the other hand would wake up several times each night and would walk into Harry’s room to check on him. He was having nightmares as well, and looking at Harry to just make sure he was safe was his thing now. 

As for Louis, he didn’t leave Harry’s side ever. If they had been glued together before, it had only gotten more so. He had skipped four days of classes to stay with Harry, whether it was to just watch some light-hearted Disney movies in silence, baking cookies or sleeping- he didn’t leave his boyfriend for a second. But after four days, Harry forced him to go back to school, claiming that he wasn’t going to be the reason Louis needed to repeat grade 11. 

Things were certainly going better now, after over a week of trying to heal and move on. It wasn’t perfect or pretty, Harry still woke up from nightmares every once in a while, and Louis still refused to let Harry go anywhere alone, but they were all slowly getting better. And not having to see Alec’s face everywhere he went was really helpful. 

So it was getting better, slowly but surely. Which was why Harry had decided to make Niall go to the Cafe with him today. 

Niall pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. “Hm,” he muttered to himself, a frown tugging his lips downwards. “He’s late again. Typical.”

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Niall, he was in class,” he reminded the blond boy. “He’ll get here when he gets here. He’s probably just running a little bit behind because of a class or something.”

But the blond boy just hummed disapprovingly. “You’d think Liam would try to be here on time for something like this. The one time Mr-Perfect is late just so happens to be the one time that we wanted him here on time?” He said, using the nickname with a small scoff. The nickname Mr-Perfect really didn’t suit him at all anymore, and he figured Niall was just using it as a backhanded insult. 

Harry sipped his drink again. “He’ll be here,” he said softly. 

The thing was, he was certain that Liam was going to show up. He didn’t exactly have much reason to trust the other teen- after all, Liam had just severed any trust the three of them had shared since they were younger by completely ditching them to be friends with bullies. But Harry did trust him, or at least he trusted that he would show up. 

As if on cue, the small bell that was hanging over the door of the Cafe let out a small jingle as the door was pushed open. Harry looked over, his eyes landing on the figure of his ex-best friend. Liam looked the same as always, dressed in a pair of beige cargo pants and a white hoodie. Though his usual confidence and friendliness was gone, instead replaced with the aura of a scared puppy. 

His eyes found Harry’s, and he looked like he was half ready to bolt out of the Cafe and call the whole thing off. But Harry shot him the faintest, wobbling smile, nodding towards the empty chair at their table. Liam looked like he was trying to return the smile, but it looked more like he was wincing, as he shuffled over to the table. 

“Hey Harry,” Liam said, his voice soft and nervous, as he shot Harry a small smile. He then looked at the blond teen beside him, and nodded in his direction as well. “Niall.” Niall took the opportunity to shove a large piece of chocolate muffin into his mouth, chewing violently as he stared straight ahead without a reply. 

Harry kicked his best friend from under the table, causing Niall to cough up a bit of muffin in response. Harry ignored the blond teen and smiled at Liam instead. “Hi Liam,” he said in a soft but welcoming manner. “Wanna sit?”

Liam nodded as he reached for the empty chair and pulled it out, sliding into it. He then placed his hands on the table, keeping them clasped tightly together so that his knuckles turned white. He looked very uncomfortable sitting with them, his eyes looking anywhere but their faces. 

_ This was not going too well _ , Harry realized with a tight press of his lips. If the three of them were going to talk, they at least needed to be warmed up a little to talk. He turned to Liam. “Do you want to order anything? I got a coffee and Ni’s having a muffin. We didn’t know if you were going to want anything, so we didn’t get you anything…”

“I’m fine,” Liam said, a tight smile on his face. “Thanks,” he added after an afterthought, “but I really am just here to talk. Clear the air or… whatever. Besides, I’m not very hungry right now.” Harry wasn’t very hungry anymore either, his coffee now looking a lot less appetizing now that the nerves were back. 

Harry sighed, looking over at Niall. The Irishman was still staring blankly out the window of the Cafe, chomping down on the pastry determinedly. He had yet to look Liam in the eyes since he had sat down. Then he looked at Liam, who looked like he could run at any second, on the edge of his seat and very uncomfortable. Neither of them had made a move to talk to one another. Harry was saddened by that, biting down on his lip. 

“Remember last summer?” He asked suddenly, a small smile appearing on his face. “Before Niall went to Ireland, we spent an entire week at my house. We would go swimming in the community pool that was just down the block to cool off because the sun was too hot. Or, we used to until…”

“... until Niall started whipping people with his pool towel and we got banned for the rest of the summer. So we had to spend the rest of the day standing outside of your fridge because the air conditioner broke,” Liam finished, a smile appearing on his face as he remembered the memory as well. “I remember. That was one fun week.”

“Until Haz’s fridge broke because it overheated from being opened too long. Anne was so pissed off I was scared she was going to kill us then and there,” Niall added on, swallowing his muffin and smiling as well. “I was actually glad I was heading out to Ireland the next day, just so that I wouldn’t have to face her.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, thanks a lot for that. I had to face mum alone because you twats were too scared of her. I was grounded for, like, two whole weeks because of that. I couldn’t watch TV or go to the pool because of you guys,” he said, his tone sounding annoyed but light at the same time. 

Liam hummed. “It was worth it though. That really was a fun week we had,” he commented. 

Niall nodded, his smile fading a little as he was brought back to the present. “Yeah,” he said, his eyes softening. “God, that feels like it was ages ago. Hard to believe that it was just last summer we were doing that.”

“A lot has changed, hasn’t it?” Liam said, his smile also fading into a small frown. It was obvious his mind was starting to fill with regret- it was written all over his face. Even Niall would have been able to see it. 

Harry looked at each of them, his arms wrapping around himself as he thought about everything. It had felt like ages ago that they were all together, just the three of them, having a fun time. But then again, here they all were, together and not fighting. Maybe there was hope. “Not everything has changed,” he said after a long time. “We’re all still here, aren’t we?”

It was then that Niall’s smile slipped off his face as he looked back down at his hands. “No. Everything is different now. We aren’t the same trio that we used to be. We’re not all still here,” he said, steely. “We aren’t who we used to be.”

Liam’s eyes shifted away, but Harry shook his head. “No, that’s not true,” he said, blinking as he pressed his lips together. He reached forward to grab onto Niall’s hand, forcing him to look up at him. He then reached over to lightly touch Liam’s arm. “I’m still me. I’m still Harry. And Niall, you’re still you. We haven’t changed that much.”

“I wasn’t talking about you, Harry. Of course you haven’t changed- you’re still the curly, innocent boy from Holmes Chapel,” Niall said, his eyes darting towards Liam. “And I wasn’t talking about myself either.”

This time, Liam cleared his throat. “He’s right, H. We- I have changed. And I don’t know why it happened or really when it happened either, but the boy you spent last summer with isn’t the same person I have been for most of this year. And it wouldn’t be fair to say that I haven’t changed for the worse when we all know it’s true,” he said, looking down at the ground in self-hatred. “God, I’ve been such an asshole these past few months that I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

Harry swallowed. “You’re still Liam. You’re still you,” he said, though he didn’t know if he was trying to convince Liam or himself. “You’re here, right? You’re not completely different. You just… went through a rough patch…”

Niall scoffed. “Oh please,” he said with an eye roll. “A rough patch doesn’t mean you completely leave your friends for no reason, and it definitely doesn’t mean you befriend their bullies! I mean, what the hell is wrong with you that made you even consider doing that?!”

Harry’s eyes widened as he kicked his friend again. “Niall!” he exclaimed in shock, letting out a small gasp. “Stop it! You’re not helping make this better!”

Liam sighed. “He’s right, Harry,” he said dejectedly, seeming to cave in on himself. “I made the wrong call and I was the one who ruined everything between us. I can’t just come back and expect you to forgive me, or have any reason to want to make this right…”

“But I do want to make this right!” the curly haired teen exclaimed, his eyes wide and a frown tugging at his lips. “We used to all be friends- we were best friends. Of course I want to try and make this right so that we can go back to that.”

But clearly Niall wasn’t on the same page as him at all. “No, Harry. This isn’t the type of thing that you can just ‘make right’ just because you decided you suddenly wanted to!” The blond man exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. “Liam hurt us! He hurt you! I don’t see why you’re willing to just give into him after he’s been tormenting us all year!”

Harry resisted the urge to throw his hands in the air. “Because I forgive him! He hurt us and I forgive him, Niall. That’s how friendships work. You make a mistake and then you get forgiven because you’re friends and care about each other,” he argued. 

“We were friends. Not anymore,” Niall said cooly. The words obviously seemed to just cut right through Liam, who looked like his heart had just been ripped out of his chest. But he didn’t say anything, just looked down at his hands, just accepting everything Niall was throwing at him like he deserved it. 

“Well I forgave Liam and we’re still friends. It’s just you because you won’t move on,” Harry tried to reason, narrowing his eyes at the boy. “Why can’t you forgive him? He already said he was sorry.”

Niall huffed, rolling his eyes. “I already said why. He hurt me, and unlike you, that isn’t enough for me and I’m not ready to forgive him!”

“He hurt me more and I was ready!”

“Well you shouldn't forgive him either!” Niall said in an exasperated tone, throwing his arms into the air. “You forgive way too easily, Harry. He hurt us- he hurt you! And you shouldn’t be willing to just forgive that in a second just because you ‘want to be friends again!’ Are you kidding me!? Harry you can’t just ignore all the shit because he’s SORRY! You can’t-”

“Stop telling me what I can and can’t do, Niall!” Harry shouted, causing the blond teen to snap his mouth shut. “Stop trying to decide things for me! I am forgiving him because Liam was the one who stopped Alec from-!” He cut himself off suddenly before he could say anything else. 

Niall, Liam and a few customers in the store were all looking at him in concern as Harry blew out a long exhale from his mouth, running a hand through his hair. “Liam was there, okay?” He said after a long time, wrapping his arms around himself as he lowered his eyes to the table. “So I’m going to forgive him. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Niall, but I wish you would.” 

With that, Harry pushed his chair back and stood up. He decided to just leave the coffee, it would be too much work to bring it with him and he just wanted to go home now. Besides, he didn’t want it anymore. He then looked at Liam. “Bye,” he said quietly. He then looked at Niall. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m spending tonight at Lou’s.”

Niall nodded mutely, not looking up to meet his friend’s eyes. 

Harry headed out of the cafe, pushing open the door and stepping out into the brisk air. It was cold, but definitely already getting warmer outside, which was a relief. As much as he loved winter, he was ready for summer to come back. Just as he was about to start walking away, Liam pushed open the door as well and jogged up to him. 

“Hey Harry,” he said, stopping at the other teen’s side. His eyes were soft and gentle, and he looked a little concerned. “Um, I just wanted to say… you shouldn’t be forgiving me just because I didn’t let them, you know. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me your forgiveness or anything.”

Harry looked at Liam, biting down onto his lip. “I’m not,” he said slowly. “I’m forgiving you because I do think that you’re still the Liam we knew. Doing what you did isn’t making me feel like I owe you anything, it just makes me see that you’re still the guy who was one of my best friends.”

Liam nodded, pressing his lips together. “You really want to be friends again?” He asked, almost nervously. 

Harry nodded in response, feeling like a weight was being lifted off of his chest. “I do,” he said with a small sigh. “I just wish we could all go back to the way things used to be. This year has really fucked us over.”

Liam breathed out a breath. “Yeah, it really has,” he said, shooting the other teen a smile. “Thanks Harry. I’ll see you later, okay?”

Harry nodded, smiling a little. “Bye Liam,” he responded. Then they both went their separate ways, and Harry felt like things were better than they had been in a long time. Finally it felt like things were turning around for him, and it couldn’t be better. 

***

That night Harry headed up to Louis’ room, feeling like his heart was racing inside of his chest. He was nervous, but excited. Because this wasn’t just a normal visit to Louis’ dorm, which would have gotten him excited anyway. 

This time was different though. Because this time, he was going to be losing his virginity that night. 

He and Louis were going to be having sex for the first time, and Harry was very nervous and excited about it. Ever since the incident, he has been wanting to just get it over with. And there was no one he’d ever want to do it with but with Louis. 

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. If Louis thought he was nervous about it, he would never have sex with him. And Harry really wanted to do it tonight. He was ready. And he knew that tonight was the night. After taking a breath, Harry reached up to knock on the door. 

Only a few moments later, Louis was opening the door. He was dressed in sweatpants and a plain white T Shirt that hugged his torso wonderfully. His hair was light and feathery, and he looked so hot. Harry was definitely not going to have any trouble getting hard tonight. 

Louis smiled when he saw Harry in the doorway. “Hey Hazza,” he said gently, throwing the door open and leaning against the frame. “You know you don’t ever have to knock, right?”

Harry didn’t realize he had been staring his boyfriend up and down until Louis said that. His head snapped up, and his eyes widened. “Erm,” he stammered, his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink when he realized that he hadn’t heard what the other boy had said. “What?”

Louis let out a small, light hearted laugh causing his eyes to crinkle in the corner. “Come here you,” he said, wrapped an arm around Harry’s shoulders and pulled him into the room. He then pressed his lips to the others cheek. “You’re so cute, Hazza.” 

He pulled the two of them inside the dorm, before closing the door behind them. Harry had been in the dorm millions of times before, though this time it felt different. “So, em, how are you?” Harry asked awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. 

Louis snorted. “You’re so awkward, darling,” he said, walking behind Harry and smacking him on the butt. Harry jumped in surprise, letting out a breathy gasp. “You’re gonna have to loosen up a bit, honey.”

Harry turned around to face his boyfriend, smirking a little. “Kissing me might do the trick,” he commented, taking a step closer and letting his eyes trail down the other teen’s body. 

Louis stepped closer as well until they were nearly touching. “Is that so?” He asked, smirking as well. Harry didn’t get to reply though because two hands were suddenly grabbing his hips and pulling and pulling him closer. Then two lips were smashing against his own. Harry smiled as he kissed back in satisfaction. 

Soon enough they were making their way across the room until they were against one of the dorm walls. Louis flipped Harry around so that his back hit the wall, causing the breath to be knocked out of him a little. Harry wasted no time in wrapping his arms around Louis’ neck, his hands toying with the hair on the back of his head. Louis’ hands were groping at his body hungrily as they kissed roughly. 

“Love you so much, H,” Louis said roughly between kisses, their lips never leaving each other. He pulled back enough to breathlessly start to peel Harry’s shirt away from his body. 

Harry moaned against his lips. “Love you too, Lou,” he said, muffled by the other’s lips. “I love you.” He chased after Louis’ lips when he pulled away, but stopped when Louis pulled off his shirt. Harry’s skin tickled with goosebumps, feeling cold and exposed without his shirt, but he didn’t mind. 

After a while they were both shirtless and kissing against the door. Harry could feel himself becoming more and more hard until it was almost painful. He was pinned against the way with his legs wrapped around Louis’ waist while Louis was groping his butt. The sixteen year old moaned as he rubbed against the other teen. 

Louis hummed, pulling away. “Bedroom?” He asked breathlessly, his eyes looking up to the other’s green orbs for an answer. 

Harry nodded. “Please,” he said, his voice sounding weak from being so breathless. Louis then picked him up and carried him into the bedroom, kicking open the door as he went through. They then fell unceremoniously onto the bed together, limbs tangled. 

Harry barely had time to move before Louis was crawling downwards to his waist. Louis' hands brushed over his hardened dick as he reached for the waistband of his pants, tugging them down to his ankles before pulling them off and flinging them across the room. Louis then kicked off his own pants and boxers until they were both completely naked. 

Harry felt his mouth fall open. “Shit Lou,” he groaned, his breath feeling like it was caught in his throat. He was panting. “Louis- you’re so- you’re so fit. You’re so hot, Lou.”

Louis smirked as he crawled until he was hovering over his boyfriend. “I could say the same about you, sweetcheeks,” he said, his hands trailing down to squeeze his butt, causing Harry to gasp. “I love these.”

Harry wasn’t going to last very long like this. Already he could feel himself slipping away into pleasure. He reached up to grab onto Louis hips, pulling them against his own. They both groaned in unison as their pelvises rocked together. 

“Louis-“ he said thickly, his curly head falling back onto the pillow on the bed. “Do something- please.”

Louis hesitated for, stopping whatever movement they had been doing. “Hey,” he said, his hands cupping Harry’s chin to tilt his head up to meet his eyes. “Are you sure about this, darling?” He asked gently, his eyes soft and caring. 

Harry melted. “Yes,” he said, leaning up to kiss his boyfriend on the lips. “I do, Lou. I really do.”

Louis responded by meeting his lips again. Harry leaned back in the bed. He knew that this night was going to be one to remember. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think :)


End file.
